Saturday, March 21, 2009

TIS beat Olympic in great exhibition of women's football

Hobart Olympic 1 (N Hale 23)
TIS 5 (Foote 35, 48, O’Brien 52, Thomas 71, Cavarretta 86)

HT: 1-1 Att: 120 Ref: S Natoli

Hobart Olympic (4-4-2): Markellos - Morris, Jarvis, Barnes, Price - Parker, Jones, Johnson, Dean - Cantrell, N Hale [Interchange: C Hale, Ortmann] [Coach: J Fiotakis]

TIS (4-4-2): Plummer - Vienna-Hallam, De Boer, O’Brien, Tolman - Thomas, Dixon, Ayton, Foote - Williams, Cavarretta [Interchange: Daley, Mason, Rose, Edwards] [Coach: V Linton]
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This Women’s Summer Cup final was an entertaining match and both sets of players demonstrated speed, technique and skills.

The first half probably belonged to Hobart Olympic, but once the TIS drew level, they surged ahead and dominated the second half.

The TIS were probably more tactically aware than their opponents, and this showed in the end.

They were also fitter. The TIS train five times a week, and that showed, too.

Madeline O’Brien, and Ashlee Tolman were excellent in the TIS defence and both were prepared to take risks and play their way out of trouble. They did so effectively in this match, but against better teams, such as the ones they will encounter in China in April, it might be too risky a ploy.

Tayla Thomas was outstanding in midfield. She covered huge areas of the pitch, was fast, and her vision and passing were superb. She deserved her goal.

Her vision and technique were demonstrated in the 26th minute when, after her side went a goal down, she played a splendid lofted pass over the Olympic defence and into the path of Rani Cavarretta.

It should have resulted in a goal, but Cavarretta failed to shoot and was eventually manoeuvred into passing the ball to a supporting player.

Lucy Foote was dangerous in attack for TIS and scored two fine goals. She has phenomenal speed and was unlucky in the 18th minute when she sprinted to beat the goalkeeper to the ball, only to shoot against the post.

Harkana Dixon’s passing from deep positions was spot-on and she played a delightful long ball to Adelyn Ayton in the 9th minute which spelled trouble for Olympic.

Ayton just failed to control the ball, but it fell to Foote, whose shot seemed destined to produce a goal until Olympic’s goalkeeper, Kate Markellos, took the pace off it with a partial save.

The entire TIS team played very well, in fact, and their performance was a credit to coach Vicki Linton.

Jemma Plummer was a late replacement in goal for Isolina Ottavi, who was injured in the warm-up.

Hobart Olympic were no slouches. They looked sharp in attack and Nic Hale and Bliss Cantrell caused TIS plenty of problems in the opening half.

Cantrell’s shooting was always dangerous, while Hale, ever the opportunist, scored a typical close-range goal after confusion in the defence.

Olympic’s speed of thought and technical abilities were demonstrated in the 21st minute when they launched a splendid attack down the left which featured a cleverly executed one-two between Chrystal Dean and Cantrell.

It resulted in a shot from Hale, which was blocked. She then stabbed the rebound wide.

Vanessa Johnson and Emily Parker were solid in midfield and both were adept at either playing long balls into dangerous areas, or running with the ball into those zones through sheer tenacity.

Male footballers could have learned a lot from this match. They may be physically stronger and possess more powerful shots, but the speed of thought of many of these girls and their tactical sense were a lesson to all.

Cantrell almost put Olympic ahead in the 3rd minute, but the advancing goalkeeper narrowed the angle and she shot wide.

In the 9th minute, at the other end, Jessie Williams was unlucky not to get a strike at goal as the Olympic defence reeled following an assault down the left, prompted by Dixon and involving Ayton and Foote.

Olympic counter-attacked constantly and Cantrell shot centimetres wide of the far post in the 12th minute.

After Foote hit the post in the 18th minute, Thomas was unlucky not to get to the rebound as the TIS pressured their opponents.

Olympic took the lead in the 23rd minute when Hale rounded a defender on the right and fired home off the far post.

TIS almost equalised in the 33rd minute, but a fine reflex save by goalkeeper Markellos denied Cavarretta.

TIS were starting to find their rhythm, however, and Foote equalised from Thomas’s astute pass in the 25th minute.

Foote volleyed the TIS ahead three minutes after the resumption, following a right-wing cross.

Four minutes later, Hale conceded a free-kick by handling and O’Brien made it 3-1 with a powerful free-kick from long range that beat Markellos at the near post and flew in off the base of the upright.

Thomas added the fourth in the 71st minute after a great run by Cavarretta, whose shot was turned against the post. The ball rebounded into the path of Thomas, who couldn't miss.

Cavarretta completed the scoring four minutes from the end with a long-range lob that sailed over Markellos and into the roof of the net.

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  • Hobart Olympic coach, John Fiotakis, said:

“I thought in the first half we were fairly even.

“In the end, it was just fitness, really.

“They’ve been training, probably for the past five months, five days a week. We’ve probably trained, in the last six weeks, twice a week.

“In the end, I think it was basically fitness.

“It was a really good game and the girls enjoyed it.”

  • TIS coach, Vicki Linton, said:

“I’m definitely pleased with the way they played a full 90 minutes.

“It was definitely a tough challenge. Olympic have many experienced players and that really showed in the first half.

“I’m particularly pleased with how our players managed to deal with the onslaught and then come back and continue on and play out the full ninety, which we haven’t played yet all year.

“We’ve been playing 60 minutes.

“So, I’m really pleased at just being able to get through the whole squad and being able to finish off at the same intensity.

“Yeah, it was fantastic.”
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STATISTICS
HOBART OLYMPIC TIS
11 Goal Attempts 16
3 Shots on Target 12
3 Corners 4
4 Fouls Committed 3
2 Off-Sides 0
0 Yellow Cards 0
0 Red Cards 0

Hobart Olympic:

PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Cantrell 4 0
Johnson 2 0
N Hale 3 2
Morris 1 1
Dean 1 0

TIS:

PLAYER GOAL ATTEMPTS SHOTS ON TARGET
Thomas 6 3
Foote 4 3
Cavarretta 2 2
Tolman 1 1
O’Brien 1 1
Ayton 1 1
Dixon 1 1

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pleasantly surprised at the entertainment value of this game. Olympic showed more flair up front in first half but were ground down by an efficient well oiled machine.

Yes, the TIS coach should be well pleased with her players.

Boof

Anonymous said...

A very entertaining game of soccer especially the keenly contested first half. The TIS girls deserved their winners medals having played outstanding and entertaining soccer throughout the competition.
Their hard work and dedication to a demanding training schedule gave them their just rewards. Congratulations to Vicky Linton and Mike Edwards for their excellent coaching and team management.

Congratulations to Hobart Olympic for making the finals and for their fine efforts.

Bloggo

Izzy said...

Walter,

Can I point out that Isolina Ottavi was not injured at all during the warm up, and Jemma Plummer was far from a late replacement. In fact, I’m quite sure she was going to be on the starting line up before the actual date of the game.

What you have posted is inaccurate and it seems to demote Jemma Plummer, who wholly deserved to play that game, and was the first choice for keeper, not the second, as you have implied. She had a great game, as did the rest of the TIS girls.

Well done guys, you put in a fantastic effort and gave us all a wonderful game to watch.

Anonymous said...

gk iz, I'm getting a little tired of people telling me my information is inaccurate and that I am putting people down with my comments.

Ottavi was warming up with the team and on the team sheet she was listed as the number 1 keeper. Her name was then crossed off the sheet and I was told in the referees' rooms that she had been injured and substituted by Plummer. If this is 'demoting' Plummer, as you suggest, I think you are way off the mark. There is no intention to 'demote', denigrate, or put down Plummer at all!

In future, if you have inside information, seek me out at the game and give me your version so that I can check it against the official information I am given.

Are you related to Plummer?

Izzy said...

Im not related to Plummer, I am Isolina Ottavi, and I have no idea where the information that I was injured may have come from.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for setting that straight, Isolina. I appreciate hearing that from you.

Can you please tell the readers and me then why your name was crossed off the teamsheet at the last minute and why you did not play?

Izzy said...

I think it's really the coach's place to inform you about any changes that were made on the team sheet, but as far as I know, it was simply because only 15 players are allowed to be named on the team sheet, and our squad has 16.

I'm not meaning to make a big fuss about anything, and I realise you had no intention to denote or put down Plummer, but perhaps you could have checked the info you recieved in the ref's room with the coach for the full, or correct, story. I say this with all due respect.