The Olympia Warriors produced a dominant performance against South Hobart in the WSL on Saturday afternoon at Darcy Street, running out nine-nil winners to remain well and truly in the title race.
The Warriors started the day equal on points with title contenders Hobart Zebras, knowing that they must not slip-up against a South Hobart side that has troubled them in recent games.
The early stages showed that Olympia wouldn’t let the pressure get to them, keeping the ball confidently and creating numerous chances it looked as though it would only be a matter of time before the favourites would break-through.
In the 18th minute they would do just that when Jade Williams received the ball following a short corner before unleashing a strike towards goal that took a nasty deflection to take it away from the keeper and into the goal.
Olympia continued to dominate possession with most of South’s players dropping in deep behind the ball, but the distribution of the Warriors, particularly Innocent Michael, was spot on as the mistake South were banking on wouldn’t come.
The only place Olympia were going wrong was in front of goal, Madison Chambers was everywhere creating chances for teammates who continued to waste her quality service.
When South were able to win the ball back, their counter-attacks were often stopped as quickly as they started as Olympia pressed their opposition hard, but in the 38th minute South got their first chance when Lucy Roberts played a tidy one-two with Mary Coy, but her tame shot went wide.
Just before half-time Olympia would add their second when Bonnie Davies received a top through-ball from Williams before she cut-in from the right and slotted the ball coolly past McMullen in goal.
It would be a disappointing end to the half for South’s defenders who had worked hard to keep the score to one-nil.
Olympia started the second-half much the same as the first, scoring after only ten minutes through Heather Russell who tapped in clinically after a low-cross from M. Chambers to make it three-nil.
Three minutes later and it would be four-nil when M. Chambers beat two players before having her shot parried out only as far as Charlotte Chambers who was bouncing on the spot to tuck home the rebound.
It was hard to watch as Olympia really started run-over their opposition, scoring a fifth in the 61st minute when Davies first shot was blocked before she buried the rebound following the one on one.
South Hobart substitute Charlotte Ingram looked to add some spark coming off the bench, and she would register a shot on target for South when she found space on the left, but her shot was easily dealt with by Jenna Farrow in goal.
South’s rare chance wouldn’t faze the Warriors, who added a sixth in the 69th minute when M. Chambers scored an absolute beauty, showing her pace to beat her marker before lobbing the keeper brilliantly.
South Hobart’s players refused to stop fighting though, with Eleni Moutsatsos throwing herself at everything, blocking shots and making tackles inside the box throughout the game.
The Chambers’ would link up again in the 77th after C. Chambers tapped in M. Chambers’ pass for the second time to make it seven-nil.Chambers scored again in the 86th when E. Moutsatsos’ brilliant tackle on C. Chambers unfortunately fell to the feet of the left-winger who tapped it into the empty net.
Olympia would score their ninth through M. Chambers who topped off an amazing game for herself, scoring a one on one in the 88th minute to earn her hattrick of goals to go with her hattrick of assists.
The full-time whistle would sound, and Olympia would celebrate another three points and another step closer to the title, as they moved back into top spot ahead of the Zebras clash with Clarence.