Strikers Make History with Third Consecutive Cup Triumph
The Devonport Strikers have created history, becoming the first side to win three consecutive Lakoseljac Cups, as they defeated South Hobart 1-0 in a tight, tense decider on Saturday evening at KGV. In a game with few clear-cut scoring chances, it was the Strikers’ clinical Spaniard, Roberto Fernandez Garrido who seized his opportunity in the 80th minute and fired the Strikers to a remarkable fifth Cup triumph since 2016.
It was a game that easily could’ve gone either way; it always seemed likely to be settled by a goal either side, which is why it remained an enthralling contest despite a lack of scoring chances. There was an underlying tension, driven by the fact that any given moment could be decisive, that one mistake or moment of magic was likely to decide things.
Each side had a half chance in the first 45 minutes, both of which arrived late on. Roberto Garrido nodded an effort wide before Isky Van Doorne fired wide from the top of the box in the final minute of the half. The most notable event of the first 45 was Ali Dulleh being forced off due to injury inside the opening quarter of an hour, a significant blow to the Strikers' cause.
Luke Bennett was buzzing about the pitch for Devonport, looking the most likely man to make something happen, but a much improved South Hobart defensive unit held steady, as Devonport probably just shaded things, but neither side could lay claims to being in control of the match.
South had the better of the early exchanges in the second half, as they began to wrestle control of the midfield battle and Jaden Fidra began to loom large, causing some major problems with his mazy runs into the penalty area. He drew a sharp save from Keegan Smith on 54 minutes which would prove South’s best chance of the evening.
Just when it seemed South may overrun them, the Strikers steadied the ship. They absorbed the attacks and started to regain some control in midfield, then 10 minutes from full time, they struck.
Luke Bennett threaded a wonderful through ball into the area for Fernandez Garrido, who shrugged the attentions of Bowman before producing a clinical finish, lifting over the leg of O’Connell in South Hobart’s net and breaking the deadlock.
Garrido nearly doubled the lead four minutes later and made sure of the victory, but O’Connell produced a fine stop to keep his side alive.
South threw bodies forward, but they could find no way through the Strikers' rock-solid defence in the dying moments, led superbly by Player of the Match Kieran Mulraney and an impassable Dom Smith. The final whistle rang out and the Strikers had made history.
Once again, the Strikers just found a way to get it done; they seem to relish these types of encounters and have mastered achieving victory in them. The win will see them advance through the national stage of the Australia Cup Round of 32, where they now eagerly await the draw.
South Hobart Break Through For First Women's Cup Triumph
South Hobart claimed their first-ever Women’s Statewide Cup, as they defeated Launceston United 2-0 in an action-packed Cup final at KGV.
In a game positively littered with scoring opportunities, it was almost surprising that we only ended up with two goals total for the match, but Pishon Choi and Madi Chambers seized their opportunities when they presented themselves and help secure a historic victory for their side.
It may well have been a different story had Launceston United taken one of the glut of early scoring chances that they produced. They had the better of the early exchanges, but twice found themselves denied by the woodwork. They had the first good look of the match when Gunton hammered a header into the crossbar before Dickinson lifted the rebound over the crossbar.
It was the long throws of Dickinson causing major problems at the back for South, having already seen one lead to a Smith chance that Farrow scrambled to save and it led to another chance which agonizingly for her side, which Marten volleyed straight into the upright.
Eve Swain played a starring role throughout, mesmerizing with her dribbling skills and she came close to finding the opening, with a strong penalty shout waved away before blazing a shot over the bar shortly after. She would rattle the post later in the half but before that, South finally found the breakthrough.
The sheer weight of chances meant a goal was always coming and on 31 minutes, Pishon Choi broke the deadlock, as she rose superbly to produce a thumping header and nod South into the lead from a Lucy Roberts corner.
Dani Gunton almost had United level 10 minutes later when she drew a world-class save from Jenna Farrow, tipping her shot onto the crossbar, which was rattled for the fifth time in the half, before following up to slide out and deny Otto on the rebound.
There wasn’t long to wait for a goal in the second half, as Venn came out but didn’t collect Clark’s looping header back to her, letting in Ollington who cut it back for Swain, whose shot drew a stunning goal-saving block from Katie Hill, only for the rebound to fall into the path of Chambers who swept it home to double the lead.
That goal seemed to drastically change things, and the second half played out in a very different manner to the first half. Gone was the end-to-end chaos, as instead South Hobart completely monopolized possession and made United chase shadows. The midfield pairing of Roberts and Choi seized control of proceedings and knocked the ball around expertly. It was a masterful exercise in playing with a lead and it blunted United’s hopes of getting back into it, with a long-range shot from Declerk that fizzed over the top about as close as they came.
The final whistle arrived, and South began the celebrations. Pishon Choi was awarded Player of the Match for her brilliant display, not only producing the opening goal but creating chances, constantly advancing the ball and passing it around with authority. It was no surprise she cramped up in the final moments as there was barely a blade of the artificial grass she didn’t cover.
Devonport Inflict Second Half Payne on South East United
Jordan Payne came off the bench at half-time and promptly hit a second-half hat-trick as the Devonport Strikers claimed the Statewide Under 21’s Cup with a comprehensive 4-0 win over South East United.
After shading things in the first half, it was the introduction of Payne and the clinical edge he brought that helped swing things emphatically towards the Strikers as they stormed to a thumping win.
South East had their moments in attack, but they were mainly coming on the counterattack and quite often saw their attackers outnumbered by Strikers defenders. Patrick Quinlan looked a threat and his runs at the defence almost found some openings, but the Strikers were firmly on top and just lacking that quality in the final third.
The exception to that came in the 29th minute when they broke the deadlock with a goal of supreme quality. Lachlan Hays flicked a wonderful dink pass into the area that Baxter Tu charged onto and he conjured a delightful finish on the half-volley.
Hays would then set up the second early in the second half, as his shot drew a save from Kinghorn that was parried into the path of Payne, who tapped it into the empty net.
His second was just as simple, as Kinghorn fumbled a cross into his path leaving him a gift which he duly accepted.
The Strikers added one more for emphasis in stoppage time, allowing Payne to complete his hat-trick. Armstrong cut inside from the left wing sharply and picked out the big Striker at the back post who was there to nod back across the goals and make it 4-0.
It was an emphatic final scoreline and a well-deserved victory for the Strikers, who showed that their youth programs are in just as good a shape as their seniors.
Zebras Make United Pay the Penalty
A pair of penalties helped the Clarence Zebras to a 2-0 win over Launceston United in the Under 17 Boys Statewide Cup.
It was a scrappy game, though that was largely due to the weather. This was a match played for the most part in truly diabolical conditions, with heavy rain and howling winds making life very tough for the players and severely impacting any aerial ball that was played.
In the 18th minute, the Zebras had a corner and Ned Cunningham drew some contact from Powell, hit the deck and drew a penalty decision which he himself stepped up to take. He fired the spot kick under a diving Munoz and the Zebras had the lead.
Viktor Gordon was looking very lively for the Zebras with his dribbling skills and he would help set up the Zebra's second penalty, albeit after a mis-control from his through ball at the back. That let in Zane Ryan who was brought down by a sliding Munoz, who didn’t get the ball and the referee again pointed to the spot.
Up stepped Gordon who dispatched the spot kick and the Zebras were two goals to the good heading into the halftime break.
The Zebras never really looked like ceding the advantage, and the gamesmanship and time-wasting tactics they employed in the second half was some true dark arts mastery. They used every trick in the book to run the clock down, make it a stop-start game with no flow and frustrated their opponents in the process, somewhat rattling them in their pursuit of a goal that would offer them a way back. It would never arrive, as despite an uptick in attacking moves, they couldn't find a way through the defence as the Zebras claimed a deserved victory.
Early Strikes Set Up South Victory In Under 17 Girls Decider
Two goals in the opening 13 minutes helped send South Hobart on their way to victory, as they downed Launceston United 3-1 in the inaugural Under 17 Girls Statewide Cup.
A superbly played, long-range, raking through ball from Isla O’Connor set up Avara Donovan for the opening goal, as she tore off in behind the defence before smashing a shot from outside the box that left Miller with no chance.
Provider then turned scorer as that lead was quickly doubled when Jasmine Williams played a pass that deflected off Adams and into the path of O’Connor who made no mistake with a composed finish. It made it 2-0 inside the opening quarter of an hour and had them well on their way to victory.
Williams was a real standout throughout the match; she consistently won the ball back in midfield and along with Stella Petherham, allowed South to control the match from the middle of the pitch.
City found themselves increasingly hemmed in as the match developed and under constant pressure at the back. Ruby Powell and Isabella Taylor were enormous at the back to keep South Hobart at bay and the score at just 2-0.
Hollie Jones was looking the most likely player to make something happen for City; she consistently advanced the ball, but struggled to find players to combine with. But she conjured a fine corner on 64 minutes that Kiarra Jones expertly volleyed home and suddenly it was 2-1.
That seemed to snap City into life, as having spent most the game struggling to get going in an attacking sense, they suddenly had much more threat about them and South Hobart were no longer cruising towards the finish line.
It was the Player of the Match in Williams who eventually sealed it, South’s midfield general lashing one with the laces from 25 yards that rocketed home to make it 3-1 in the dying embers and secure the victory.
Lakoseljac Cup Final
South Hobart 0
Devonport Strikers 1 (R.Fernandez Garrido 80”)
Player of the Match: Kieran Mulraney
Women's Statewide Cup
South Hobart 2 (P.Choi 32" M.Chambers 48")
Launceston United 0
Player of the Match: Pishon Choi
Statewide Under 21’s
Devonport Strikers 4 (B.Tu 29”, J.Payne 53” 81” 90+3”)
South East United 0
Player of the Match: Jordan Payne
Statewide Under 17’s
Launceston United 0
Clarence Zebras 2 (N.Cunningham 18”, V.Gordon 37”)
Player of the Match: Ned Cunningham
Under 17 Girl's Statewide Cup
South Hobart 3 (A.Donovan 9" I.O'Connor 13" J.Williams 80+2")
Launceston City 1 (K.Jones 64")
Player of the Match: Jasmine Williams