Welcome to the Friday Forecast for Round 16 of the MyState Bank Women’s Super League. All eyes this weekend will be on Floorworld Park where Launceston United can slam shut the door on the title race when they play South Hobart in a top-of-the-table clash. Elsewhere Devonport and the Clarence Zebras will be heavy favourites in their matches against Taroona and Olympia respectively as they look to maintain their positions in the top 4.
United Can All but Secure The Title on Saturday
The game of the round is undoubtedly the Launceston United v South Hobart clash at Floorworld Park. United sit five points clear of South as it stands and have a game in hand against the Warriors still to come, which essentially puts it at 8 points with just 5 games left to play after this week. As such a win for United in this fixture and they can officially start planning the title celebrations.
It wouldn’t mathematically seal it, they can’t be handed the trophy post-game or anything like that but given it would leave United needing just 4 points from 4 games against the bottom four sides who are yet to take a single point from a top 4 side all season; for all intents and purposes, it’d be curtains on the title race.
This is where South conceding that late leveler to the Zebras a couple of weeks ago really stings them. Those extra 2 points mean that even if South do win this one and Devonport do likewise when they play United in a fortnight’s time, they still need to win all their remaining games and have United drop points from one of their remaining games against the bottom four. That’s still extremely unlikely, but South can’t control those other factors. They can only control this Saturday, so they need to get out there win the game and at least give themselves an outside chance. Lose and that outside chance becomes elaborate fantasy. As I said, United can start planning the celebrations.
The two prior clashes between the sides have been extremely entertaining games that have been closely fought, but crucially United have won both which is ultimately why they stand on the brink of claiming the league crown. Dani Gunton has been one of the best players in the competition this season and she was the destroyer in chief last time around, scoring a hat-trick. Both games have seen United really put their foot down in the second half and run away with the game. They’ve run out the games by far the better of the two sides and fully deserved both victories, so South are going to need to offer something a little different tactically if they are to inflict a first WSL defeat for the season upon United.
So in summing up, whilst a loss likely won’t cost United the title, a win will make sure they win it. It’s last chance saloon time for South at Floorworld Park on Saturday, so be sure to tune in, this ought to be a cracker of a contest.
White To Press Golden Boot Campaign Against Pirates
Heading South and at Kelvedon Park, Taroona will take on the in-form Devonport Strikers. The Strikers have been as good as any side in the competition over the last month, drawing with the top 2 and scoring big wins over the Zebras and Lions. Taroona meanwhile have continued their struggles against sides other than the Warriors and will thus enter this as big underdogs.
The two previous clashes have seen Devonport winning with a minimum of fuss. At home it was 7-0 and at this venue in Kelvedon Park in Round 11 they won 8-2 with Jazmin White running riot. White is currently locked into an extremely close battle with Bonnie Davies for the Golden Boot. White currently holds the lead by 2 goals with a remarkable tally of 31 goals in her 12 games ahead of Davies on 29 from 13. Nine of those goals have come in two games against Taroona, so this is a side that she has done major damage to this year. Her pace has really exposed their defence and with Olympia to come next week, White has the chance to open an unassailable lead over the next fortnight. With Davies facing a tough game and unlikely to score a big bag this weekend, White has a chance to restore some of the lead that was eaten into last week. If the Pirates are any chance of reversing their miserable record against the top 4 sides this year, then finding a way to stop the striker who put 6 past them last time around is obviously going to be priority number 1!
Zebras Look To Get Back To Winning Ways
The Clarence Zebras will look to return to winning ways when they face the Olympia Warriors at Wentworth Park. The last 3 weeks without a win must seem like an eternity to a side like the Zebras that has been so accustomed to winning over recent years. Having faced the league’s top 3 sides and come up just short, the defending champions are now at risk of dropping back to a fourth-placed finish unless they can lift their defensive efforts when they meet those sides again for the final time this year.
This fixture should at least see the Zebras getting back on the winner’s list against an opponent they have battered 11-1 and 12-0 in their two games this year. They have absolutely filled their boots in the two games against their neighbours, scoring heavily and early with Caitlin Stalker scoring 9 goals in those 2 matches.
With Olympia entering this off the back of another big defeat, falling 10-1 to South last week, another similar score line looks to be on the cards here. Keeping the opposition under double digits should be the aim for the Warriors this week as they look to claim small victories where they can. Their Round 20 fixture against Taroona is going to be their best chance of claiming a breakthrough win, with these sorts of games against the top 4 more about improved performances than gaining points.