By Andrew Cooling
Zebras Kick Off Huge Month at Darcy Street
The game of the round will take place at Darcy Street on Sunday as second placed South Hobart takes on third placed Clarence Zebras in a rematch of the Summer Cup Final.
South won that Cup Final 3-1 and they were the far better side on the day, fully deserving their victory. It was a rather flat performance from the Zebras and they then followed it up with a 3-1 loss to Launceston United in Round 1 of the WSL Season. For a team that won the league by 22 points last season, with a +44 superior goal difference to any other side, this was quite unexpected and hinted at a changing of the guard at the top of the table for this year.
But given they did the exact same thing in 2021, where they had a poor Summer Cup performance and a big loss to Launceston United in Round 1 before winning 16 of their final 17 league games to storm to the league title, it could also just be a case of history repeating and simply a case of starting slow. Since their opening day defeat the Zebras have been on somewhat of a tear, smashing Olympia twice and Taroona to the tune of 15-0. Without a game against a fellow title contender, it’s hard to know if this is a case of the sleeping giants emerging from their slumber to dominate the league once again, or whether those early-season concerns were justified.
On Sunday and indeed over the coming weeks we are about to find that out with this match kicking off a huge month of games for the Zebras. After taking on South they then face Devonport twice in as many weeks, in the cup and league with both games taking place at Valley Road. After that, it’s a game against Launceston United so it’s fair to say the wait is over and we are about to find out exactly where the Zebras are at in season 2022.
South have certainly improved, that much is clear, and it was on display in their thrilling 5-4 win over Devonport. They have some lively creative players in White and Roberts feeding the likes of Davies, Choi and Moutsatsos who are scoring at an impressive clip. But concerns do remain at the back, with 11 goals conceded in their last 3 league games and against a Zebras side with plenty of firepower it does appear a vulnerability that could be exploited. This has the makings of a classic and could prove a very important 3 points for each sides title aspirations.
Lions Host Ladder Leaders United
The Kingborough Lions are off the mark in season 2022, claiming their first win of the season with a thumping 9-3 victory over the Olympia Warriors on Monday but they now face the stiffer task of hosting the current league leaders in Launceston United.
This won’t be an easy game for the Lions who lost their first two games against top-four opposition in the opening rounds but in the process also showed they can score goals against them. They have no shortage of quality attacking talent with the combination of Lashmar, Davis, Kannegiesser and Ollington all running rampant against the Warriors and forming a potent attack that can definitely cause United’s defence some problems here.
They can outscore any side, it’s just the question as to whether they can keep them out at the other end where the doubts linger for this Lions side. Having conceded 13 goals in their 3 WSL fixtures so far, United can expect to get their share of scoring chances here and La Monte, Mitchell, Gilpin and Gunton are a pretty handy group of attackers who could take full advantage.
United have simply not put a foot wrong so far this year, they have won all 4 of their games to sit clear atop the table and make themselves the early competition pacesetters. Perhaps even more crucially they are getting it done on the road, with a heavily back-ended schedule meaning that after this weekend, 8 of their final 13 games will be at Floorworld Park. Another win here and they will be very nicely set before the WSL breaks for the Cup again next week, especially if South and Zebras were to play out a draw.
Crunch Clash For Warrior and Pirates
Rounding out the action for Round 6 in the WSL is a crucial game for both sides when Taroona host the Olympia Warriors at Kelvedon Park. With both sides sitting 0 and 3 and neither side having come close to taking points so far this year, this becomes an enormous match for both sides. Something has simply got to give here and either one or both of these sides will be off the mark after this 90 minutes of football is played. Both clubs would be targeting this as the most winnable of their fixtures and in the quest to avoid the wooden spoon, the 3 games between the pair over the course of the season do look particularly vital.
Taroona have shown some improvement in the past fortnight, winning in the Statewide Cup against University before putting in an improved showing in a 5-1 loss to Launceston United. Where as in the first couple of games they were blown away, they competed hard against United for much longer periods and looked much tougher to break down in defence.
Olympia too have shown some positive signs in that same time frame. Whilst the defence remains a major concern, they did score 3 times against the Lions and shouldn’t face as much pressure at the back in this one, and they did improve by 5 goals in their Cup game against the Zeb after the one sided League meeting between the pair.
Both sides should enjoy seeing more of the ball in this clash and get more attacking opportunities which should suit them as neither is really equipped for backs to the walls defensive setups which is how they have mainly been forced to play so far this season. No doubt both the midfield and attacking players on both sides should relish that and look to break the shackles. The desperation for both sides will be high, as is the potential for goals so this could be a very entertaining clash as a result.
MyState Bank Women’s Super League Round 6
Sunday 1 May
Kingborough v Launceston United, 12:30 pm, Lightwood Park
South Hobart v Clarence Zebras, 2:00 pm, Darcy Street
Taroona v Olympia Warriors, 2:30 pm, Kelvedon Park