Welcome to Weekend Washup for Round 12 as we reflect on a weekend where Launceston United extended their lead on top as the Strikers continue to shape the title race despite probably being out of it themselves. Having been held to a draw themselves by the Strikers a week prior, this week it was the side from the Portress doing Launceston United a favour by holding South Hobart to a 3-3 draw in an instant classic. Previewing the fixtures, it did seem like there would be two pretty comfortable wins and one tight match on the weekend slate and that’s precisely how it played out. Whilst it was a thriller at Darcy Street, the Kingborough Lions and Launceston United both claimed easy five goals wins over Olympia and Taroona respectively in the other two games.
South Miss An Opportunity In Thriller Against Strikers
The game of the Round was at Darcy Street where South Hobart and Devonport played out a pulsating 3-3 draw. In a see-sawing contest, South had ample opportunities to win the match late on but couldn’t find the elusive fourth goal and were left ruing a missed opportunity to keep up the pressure on Launceston United.
I said in my preview last week that any time the top four sides have squared off this year we have practically been guaranteed an interesting game and that’s just what we got here. South took an early lead just five minutes in when Brooke Bennet let through an uncharacteristically soft goal, as Sophie Westwood’s ball into the area squeezed in at the near post. It seemed to have taken a slight deflection off a stretching Mia Cane who certainly claimed the goal and it might explain why the keeper was deceived. Either way it was 1-0 South and the perfect start for the hosts.
Jazmin White quickly got Devonport back on terms as she timed her run well and stormed in behind the back four to provide the equalizer. She then put her side ahead on 35 minutes with a classy finish following a scrap in the box that saw the ball falling to her at the top of the area.
The first half goals continued to flow freely and Mia Cane had the home side level just before halftime as she produced a composed finish in a 1 v 1 with the keeper after being sprung by Madi Chambers who was making her first start for South since returning to the state.
The frenetic scoring pace continued into the second half as South seized the lead five minutes after the restart when Cane completed her hat-trick from a yard out, finishing off some wizardry from Chambers down the left-hand side.
Georgia King offered one hell of a riposte to that though, squaring the game up once more with a bending free kick from 25 yards out that curled home into the inside netting. It left the game locked at 3-3 with 35 minutes to play and surprisingly from there the goals dried up, though it certainly wasn’t from a lack of chances, particularly for South Hobart.
Having just been denied by Bennett moments earlier Mia Cane almost scored an incredible solo goal, leading the Strikers defence a merry dance before firing her effort into the upright with 15 minutes left to pay.
On 82 minutes Bridgette Wright had a big chance in the area after Cane crossed and Davies let it run, but she fired straight the keeper Bennett who saved sharply.
Bonnie Davies, who was brilliantly contained by a marking job from Annalee Bidwell throughout and kept as quiet as she has been in a game all year as a result of it, almost made herself the hero as she got the better of King before flashing a shot narrowly wide as time ticked close to expiring.
South still had one final chance to win it in the 95th minute as Davies played it through to Mia Cane who looked destined to score, but Brooke Bennett stood tall to make an enormously clutch leg save to save a point for her side. It was a chance that probably should’ve been taken and was almost the last kick of the game with the whistle following seconds later confirming the 3-3 score line.
South certainly had the chances to win this one. They had five scoring opportunities in the fifteen minutes of play and couldn’t take any of them. Credit to Devonport who continue to grow at this level and have now held the top two sides in successive weeks for putting in another strong road performance, but this is one that South might well be left looking back on as a costly result when the season reaches it end.
United Restore Their Buffer
Launceston United took full advantage of their nearest rivals being held to a draw as they accounted for Taroona 5-0 to restore the advantage on top of the table they had ceded a week prior.
United took the lead in the twelfth minute of the game as Ellie La Monte monstered Blackwood Coyle in a 1 v 1 situation, winning a foot race despite starting 10 yards behind the defender, then cutting back inside and picking out the bottom corner to perfection. It was the perfect example of why attackers in her mold are so sought after by coaches. You can script up whatever strategies you like, but sometimes in this game it just comes down to some individual brilliance from a striker beating their opponent.
The second arrived soon after when a turnover at the back was pounced upon by Madi Gilpin who squared it up for Dani Gunton to deposit it into the back of the net.
The third followed another 10 minutes after that, coming in a similar manner as Gunton picked off a misplaced pass from Ottavi and drove into the box to score her second of the half.
La Monte bagged her second early in the second half as she blasted one home from the tight angle to make it 4-0. Before the fifth goal arrived on the hour mark as Gilpin took advantage of some hesitation to clear the ball at the back and slipped in to blast home what would be the final goal of the game.
United put the cue in the rack for the final half hour with the points assured as they cruised to the finish line and the 5-0 win. The victory leaves them a game clear on top but crucially with both a game in hand and an easier schedule to play than their nearest threats. This was another very good weekend for the United faithful.
Lions Cruise Past Warriors
The Round began the night prior at Empire Couriers Park where the Kingborough Lions comfortably accounted for the Olympia Warriors 6-1 to chalk up their second win of the season. It was a solid bounce back performance from the Lions as they look to create some separation between themselves and the foot of the table in the back half of the year.
The Lions took the lead in the second minute of the game as Danielle Kannegiesser raced in behind the Warriors defence and fired home a quality finish. It was an ominous sign for the hosts to have conceded so easily and so early once again in a game, but to their credit the Warriors settled in alright after that early blow. They were able to create a couple of chances of their own in the opening half hour and weren’t being blown away.
The Lions would eventually double their lead just after the half hour mark however as Megan Goscombe again took advantage of the Warriors high defensive line by outpacing them and racing in to score.
The Lions probably should’ve extended the advantage further before the break but it went into half time at 2-0 before the Lions put the foot down in the second half.
Kannegiesser bagged her second in the same manner as the first two goals came, with the Warriors defence parked too high up and unable to catch the attacker in a foot race.
Greta Crevatin-Gunn extended the lead to 4-0 when she scored the first of what would be two second half goals from the youngster making her WSL debut, by tapping home a rebound from close range.
Goscombe then grabbed her second from a corner as she steered in a well taken volley to make it 5-0 before Crevatin-Gunn bobbed up at the back post for her second to finish off a Kannegiesser cross helped on by Goscombe.
Olympia were then given something to celebrate when Jodi Ransley scored a screamer of a consolation goal. Spying Gardner off her line, Ransley let fly from 35 yards out and lobbed it over the keeper and into the back of the net. In a tough season for the Warriors it was a genuine highlight and a reward for fighting the game out.
It saw the game ending at 6-1 and the Lions walking away with the win. With a far more accommodating fixture in the second half of the year the Lions should be able to accrue some more points over the coming weeks and draw themselves away from the bottom couple of sides.