Welcome to the Weekend Wash-Up for Round 2 of the Super League season. It was a tightly fought week 2 with some close contests and one of the more entertaining games we are likely to see all season taking place over at Darcy Street.
In what would live up to its billing as the game of the round, South Hobart mounted a furious late fightback to pull off a stunning rescue job and recover from three goals down to draw 3-3 with the Devonport Strikers. The Champions, Launceston United continued to open their title defence in the perfect fashion as they downed the Kingborough Lions by a pair of goals in an end-to-end affair at Floorworld Park. Whilst Taroona offered some decent defensive resistance for most of their clash with the Clarence Zebras before the dam wall burst late on in the piece and the Zebras claimed a hard fought 3-0 victory.
It leaves United sitting on top after two rounds but with and a real sense that the there isn’t much between them, South Hobart, Devonport and the Zebras in pursuit. United are yet to meet one of those sides so their big tests awaits in the coming weeks but I get the sense we could see a very close and multi pronged title race developing this season based on what I’ve seen in this opening fortnight.
South Mount Stunning Fightback
We’ll start where the most drama was and that was most certainly at Darcy Street where South Hobart stunned the Devonport Strikers with a Lazarus-style recovery. Trailing 3-0 after 64 minutes of play, the game seemed well and truly in the Strikers pocket before a stunning late rally saw South walk away with what could prove to be a crucial point. If the margins between these sides are as razor-thin as they appear presently, we could yet look back on this one as an important afternoon.
There have probably been more unlikely comebacks in that on the balance of play, that 3-0 scoreline did feel exceedingly harsh on South Hobart. Even the 2-0 lead the Strikers took into the break didn’t feel like a truly fair reflection on what had been a reasonably even game to that point with Devonport the more decisive of the two sides despite seeing less of the ball.
Two moments of magic from the Strikers had them holding sway with two long-range goals. First we had an absolute howitzer of a free kick from Georgia King that nearly burst through the back of the net, before Maddy Payne caught out Butler with a long-range chip just before the halftime break.
When Payne doubled up just after the restart by chipping Butler again, it did seem like the Strikers were home and hosed, but South dug deep.
Eve Swain had been threatening all game and she began the comeback just past the hour mark with some nice footwork and tidy finish.
South got their chance from the penalty spot in the second half, but it seemed like hopes of a comeback were set to be thwarted when Hayley Julian made a brilliant penalty save to deny Mamic from the spot.
Three minutes later Pichon Choi did cut the margin to 3-2 as Julian let the ball bounce in the area and up bobbed Choi to head home and ignite the match.
As the game wound to its conclusion there was to be one last twist, as South were presented with a 94th minute free kick just outside the area. Up stepped the returning Lucy Roberts, whose free kick struck a raised arm in the Devonport wall, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.
Up stepped Roberts again, who dispatched a perfect penalty into the top corner. In a big pressure moment, she simply could not have taken it better, it was ice cold from the South Hobart star and secured a valuable point for her side. It was the first we’ve seen of Roberts this season and a reminder of her class in the midfield, she might just be the best playmaker in the competition and South will surely be glad to have her back in the mix.
Title Holders Remain Perfect
Launceston United made it two wins from two to start their title defence, as they handled the Kingborough Lions in a tight battle at Floorworld Park.
The first half was an open and end-to-end affair. Both sides were playing in a positive attacking manner and the chances, whilst hardly clear-cut, were coming at both ends of the park.
Dani Gunton had the hosts ahead early as she scrapped a goal in the penalty area to continue her strong goalscoring start to the season, but if United thought the early goal meant they would have it all their own way, they were mistaken.
The Lions came close to restoring parity just before halftime when the brilliant Laura Davis skipped in behind the defence and one on one with the keeper, but she couldn’t get it past Jazlin Venn who made a huge save to protect her side’s lead.
Football can be a game of a moments and that was big one, had the Lions scored it would’ve been 1-1 at the break, instead they found themselves in a two-goal hole just after resumption courtesy of a cruel deflection. Amy Smith let fly from long range with the ball cannoning into Kannegiesser and completely wrong footing the keeper Mackintosh before bouncing into the back of the net.
It made it 2-0 and that would ultimately prove enough for United who managed to maintain the clean sheet and probably got stronger the contest wore on.
For United it continues their perfect start but it’s also entirely what has been expected of them. They travel down South to play Zebras next week as their schedule difficulty begins to spike.
Last season the Lions were a real Jekly and Hyde outfit, they produced some quality displays, but all too often they were blown out by the competition heavyweights. Despite starting the season 0-2, being genuinely competitive in both games is a definite step in the right direction from them and a sign of progress made. The points will follow if they can maintain this level.
Zebras Overcome Pirates
The Clarence Zebras eventually overcame a stubborn Taroona FC side, as they fired home three goals in the final fifteen minutes to score a 3-0 victory and claim their first points of the season.
After a disappointing opening round showing, Taroona were keen to offer some more resistance here and for 75 minutes they defended wonderfully. On the occasions the Zebras did manage to get a decent shot away, there was Izzy Ottavi who made some really nice saves in this one but will be glad to not have been as busy as she was the week prior.
The Zebras were making all the running and there was a sense of inevitability about a goal coming, but as time continued to expire and the game remained locked at 0-0, the Pirates hopes of a point were raised.
Finally the pressure told on 76 minutes however as Millie Baric got the better of Lane, who had been a rock in defence to that point, and got her shot away that left Ottavi with no chance. It was relief for the Zebras and agony for Taroona who were closing in on what would’ve been a fine result.
That goal seemed to break the spirit of the tiring Taroona side and moments later the lead was doubled when Eliza Wylie’s well-take first-time finish found the back of the net.
Caitlin Stalker then completed the burst in the 83rd minute, making it three goals in the space of five minutes as she fired past Ottavi who had come off her line and made an initial save, but it rebounded back into Stalker and left her with the simplest of tap ins.
It meant the Zebras walked away with what looked a fairly comfortable 3-0 win but whilst they were certainly dominant, it was anything but comfortable for much of the afternoon.
MyState Bank Women’s Super League
Round 2
South Hobart 3 (Eve Swain 64', Pichon Choi 79', Lucy Roberts 90+5')
Devonport Strikers 3 (Georgia King 26', Maddy Payne 45' 48')
Taroona FC 0
Clarence Zebras 3 (Millie Baric 76', Eliza Wylie 81', Caitlin Stalker 83')
Launceston United 2 (Dani Gunton 11', Danielle Kannegiesser (OG) 54')
Kingborough Lions 0