The Olympia Warriors have kept the pressure on at the top of the Women's Super League table with a dominant 7-0 win over Clarence.
The result was never in question at Warrior Park, with the size of the final margin the only thing left in doubt after a stunning early blitz from the home side. Amy Prokopiec netted a hat-trick inside 15 minutes and finished with five goals, but she and the Warriors may still be left to rue a plethora of missed opportunities as goal difference looms as a factor in the title race.
Olympia had their first corner and first shot in the game's opening minute, and that set the tone for the rest of the game as they lived in their forward half and peppered the goals. That saw them open the scoring after just three minutes, as a forced turnover and cross from Madison Chambers found Prokopiec in traffic in the middle. The striker's shot was a slow roller, but it had just enough pace to beat goalkeeper Amelia Vanderniet and crawl over the line.
She had her second minutes later after a save from Vanderniet landed at the feet of Chambers. Her chipped effort beat the 'keeper and landed on the head of Prokopiec, who nodded home into the open net. Her hat-trick was in the books with a simple one-on-one finish in the 15th minute, and she added a fourth one minute later after a low cross into the goalmouth that she was able to tap home.
At that stage their lead could have been even greater, with a series of point-blank misses breaking up the barrage of goals. Twice Prokopiec skied shots over the top from very close range, with Davies doing similarly not long after. That wayward finishing continued for the rest of the first half, with a penalty from Olivia Bomford saved by Vanderniet and a handful more chances sent off target or straight at the goalkeeper.
The home side weren't content with a 4-0 lead at the break, as they shifted their formation and sent more numbers forward in search of goals. The pace of Madison Chambers continued to cause havoc for the Clarence defence, as she broke down the wing time and time again and created chances for the Warriors forwards.
After crossing for much of the day, she snatched a goal of her own just after the hour mark to spark another mini-burst for her side. A long switching ball from Innocent Michael found her in an acre of space out wide, and she was able to take the ball into the penalty area, beat her defender and finish past Vanderniet with the outside of her boot.
It took just minutes for the Warriors to strike again, as Charlotte Chambers added her name to the scoresheet with a slice of luck. Her first shot was straight at the feet of Vanderniet, but the deflection off the goalkeeper fell straight back to her and she made no mistake with her second effort.
Bonnie Davies went close with a pair of shots from long range, before Prokopiec snagged her fifth after another direct through ball played her into the box for a simple finish. The Warriors continued to lock the ball forward and fire away on goal, with the final shot count of 36-0 illustrating their dominance, but they couldn't add to their tally any further as the game finished at 7-0.
With the Hobart Zebras recording a 2-0 win over Ulverstone, Olympia remains in second place on goal difference with just three games to play. Clarence, meanwhile, sit fifth on the ladder and will be hoping to maintain their buffer over the trailing South Hobart as the season winds down.