Monday, February 18, 2019

Many new faces as South Hobart's women beat Taroona


Photo:  Taroona goalkeeper Shelagh Curtain about to clear as a South Hobart attacker races in [PlessPix]

(Women’s Summer Cup, KGV Park, Saturday, 16 February 2019)

South Hobart 4 (P Choi 2, M Coy, K Dutkiewicz og)
Taroona 0

HT:  0-0   Ref:  A Giusti

South Hobart:  E Moutsatsos;  P Choi, M Coy, E Dick, P Djakic, B Gadon, C Ingram, O Mastrocola-Simon, N Moutsatsos, L Roberts, S Rule, B Thapa, P Wood

Taroona:  S Curtain;  K Rain, M Dunbabbin, B McGinn, H Parish, A Ashby, M Witte, M Fujiura, C Zunlga, K Dutkiewicz, H Mayo, L Price, N Kreiling, C Loh

Photo:  A Taroona player knocks a South Hobart opponent out of the way as she gains possession of the ball [PlessPix]

South Hobart and Taroona have both lost many players from last season.

Taroona, in fact, have given up their place in the State-wide Women’s Super League and dropped to the Southern Championship competition for the 2019 season.

With Ulverstone forfeiting their game scheduled for later in the day against Kingborough Lions United, all is not rosy for women’s football in Tasmania.

Launceston City are also reported to be considering withdrawing from the Super League.

Football Federation Tasmania have yet to make an official comment about this, but it’s obvious something has to be done, and quickly, if the women’s game is not to implode.

Photo:  South Hobart shoot at goal [PlessPix]

Taroona did well to hold South Hobart to a goalless opening half, but South Hobart’s players may well have been in shock after losing Phoebe Djakic to a knee injury early in the game.  She was taken to hospital by ambulance.

South Hobart gradually got on top in the second half and netted four times, including an own-goal by an unfortunate Taroona defender.

Pishon Choi grabbed a brace but should have had more as she sent some good chances either wide or over the bar.

Mary Coy also found the back of the net as South Hobart’s superior fitness told.

Photo:  South Hobart on the attack against Taroona [PlessPix]

South Hobart coach, Craig Westwood, said:

“It’s early season for both clubs.  I think both clubs are down on numbers.  [There’s been] a lot of turn-over.  We’ve lost a lot of girls travelling to the Mainland, so it’s an opportunity for some new girls to come through.  I think we had seven girls out of our thirteen today who played their first senior game.

“It’s early days, so there were some good signs to come out of it.

“We shared the ball around quite well.  A huge loss early in the game with Phoebe Djakic going down with a knee injury, so she’s gone off in an ambulance and we’re just waiting to hear back about that.”

Photo:  A Taroona player in pursuit of a South Hobart attacker [PlessPix]

Taroona coach, Karen Wills, said:

“I thought it was a hot day for the girls first-up.

“Obviously, we’ve lost a lot of players this year so we’re looking to build from the bottom.  We’ve got a lot of young players coming through from the youth ranks so we’re going to be playing Championship this year, which I think is the right place for the team.  It’s more of a development team.  We’re certainly not at that high performance level any more.

“But, I thought for a lot of those girls, it was a really solid performance.  Obviously, we ran out of legs in the second half.  We lost our shape, we opened up and they started to run through us. Once they got that first goal, they got a bit of confidence about them so they then got to work.

“I’m pretty happy.  We’ve got a bit of work to do, but, as I said, it’s very much a rebuilding, development situation for us.  I’m looking forward to it.  It’s a good group of girls so we should have a good season in the Championship.”

Photo:  A South Hobart shot at goal [PlessPix]

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