South Hobart 1-2 Devonport Strikers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKL4u4spmTQ
The Devonport Strikers have quickly opened their account in the Women's Super League, travelling to Darcy Street for their first game and emerging with a 2-1 win over South Hobart. The Strikers were a goalscoring juggernaut last season in the Northern Championship, but single goals from Jazmin White and Danielle Mitchell were enough to secure the result.
Showing no signs of nerves early, the Strikers very nearly took the lead inside the opening minutes as White found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. She was denied only by a sharp save from Georgia McMullen, but it was an ominous warning shot from the former Golden Boot winner. South responded in turn less than a minute later, with Niki Moutsatsos unleashing a long-range effort that beat the goalkeeper but thumped into the crossbar and stayed out.
The game calmed slightly from that frenetic start, but the Strikers managed to find an early breakthrough in the 18th minute. A cross to the back post found an open header, and while the first effort hit the woodwork and stayed out, White pounced on the rebound and tapped it home.
South responded with a handful of half-chances, but they weren't able to convert and find an equaliser. That fact hurt doubly when the Strikers grabbed a second goal and doubled their lead just before half time. Again it was White causing issues for the South Hobart defence, this time taking the ball to the byline and cutting a pass back across the area. It met the run of Danielle Mitchell just inside the penalty area, and she curled a shot past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.
True to their record last season, the Strikers continued to push forward in search of goals after the restart. That left the door open for South at the other end, though, and they were able to pull a goal back just after the hour mark in spectacular fashion. Lucy Roberts won the ball on the halfway line, and after storming through the middle and skipping past a defender, she let rip with a long-range effort that flew over the goalkeeper, clipped the underside of the crossbar and went in. It was an early contender for goal of the season, and it kept the home side right in the contest.
South pushed for an equaliser while Devonport continued to look for a third goal, but neither side could create the decisive chance they needed. That left the score at 2-1 when the final whistle sounded, giving the Strikers their first win in the Super League.
Launceston United 5-1 Clarence Zebras
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csjXeHJKXzU
Launceston United have entered the Women's Super League with a bang, going straight to the top of the table after a 5-1 win over the Clarence Zebras. United had no issues adjusting to the top flight after an undefeated 2020 in the Northern Championship, with five players hitting the scoresheet in a dominant display.
The opening half hour was a battle in the midfield, with neither side able to gain the upper hand and find a clear-cut scoring chance. Launceston looked more comfortable when on the ball, but it was a Clarence mistake that opened the door for them to take the lead. Two Zebras went to clear the same ball, and as it bobbled Launceston's Gonya Luate pounced to steal it away, break through the defence and slide a shot past the goalkeeper for her side's first top-flight goal
since 1998. They managed to double their lead just before half time, with Luate this time setting up Dani Gunton on the right of the area. Her shot rolled into the far bottom corner to give United a decisive lead at the break.
Anyone that thought the Zebras would accept their fate were sorely mistaken, and they hit back just minutes after the restart through Madeline O'Brien. A patient build-up ended with the ball played across the area to her feet, and her first-time shot flew past the goalkeeper and into the top corner.
The visitors began to move the ball forward with more ease, but their momentum was sapped once again when Launceston added a third goal in the 58th minute. This one came with a good slice of luck, as Laura Dickinson's long-range shot took a big deflection off a defender, completely wrong-footing the goalkeeper on its way into the back of the net.
From there United continued to pull away, and their fourth goal came in spectacular fashion. Sofie Verhaegen received the ball a long way from home and with her back to the goal, but she turned her marker with ease, lined up a shot from distance and rifled it into the far top corner to give the 'keeper no chance of saving. That effectively sealed the win for Launceston, with a stoppage time penalty to Annie Reitsema the icing on the cake.
Taroona FC 1-4 Olympia Warriors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXmPnTV2iyc&t=5999s
The Olympia Warriors have started their Women’s Super League title defence with a bang, downing Taroona 4-1 at Kelvedon Park. Up against a side in their first season back in the league, the defending champions flexed their muscles and cruised to a comfortable victory to open their campaign.
Taroona started brightly and held their own in the opening exchanges, and they went the closest to scoring early with a shot that thumped off the woodwork. The class of the Warriors began to shine through, though, as they slowly took control of the game. Just moments after that near-miss for the hosts, Olympia took an early lead through debutant Meghan Goscombe. A deep cross to the back post fell to Sophia Hart, and her first touch rolled the ball in front of Goscombe. She was able to squeeze a shot away before being taken down by the goalkeeper, and any potential foul mattered not as the ball rolled into the open net.
That goal seemed to spur the Warriors on even further as they pressed forward with intent. While Taroona continued to take the ball into the final third regularly, they struggled to find the finishing touches needed to break through Olympia's defence. They would come to rue those missed chances just after the half-hour mark, as a poor pass out of defence opened the door for Mia Cane to shoot from a tight angle on the right. The first effort was well saved by Isolina Ottavi, but with the goalkeeper stuck off her line, Cane was able to finish easily from the rebound to double her side's lead.
Down 2-0 at the break but with some positive passages of play in the first half, Taroona certainly weren't out of the contest. That almost changed just 30 seconds after the restart when Chambers forced another acrobatic save from Ottavi, but the hosts held strong and continued to push in search of goals.
They were pushing against the tide, though, and the Warriors eventually broke through for their third goal just before the hour mark with a Chambers tap-in from a Bonnie Davies cross. Their fourth came just minutes later, as Chambers turned provider and played in Cane for her second goal of the day. While that effectively killed off the game as a contest, Taroona did manage to grab a well deserved goal before the day was done, with Mackenna Minstrell pouncing on a fumble from the goalkeeper to score her side's first goal of the campaign. A 4-1 win was a positive start to Olympia's title defence, while there were plenty of positive signs from Taroona in their return to the top flight.
