Fire Women Send Finals Warning
Words: Matt Dorman
Image: David Wadsworth/Olympic FC
Sunshine Coast Women emphatically found top form in dispatching Olympic FC Women 4-0 at Goodwin Park on Saturday.
Fire had a point to prove after only edging an under-strength Souths United Women 1-0 last week and did just that in Brisbane, taking control with three first-half goals.
The result marked a fourth straight defeat for Olympic as they remain a point ahead of Peninsula Power Women in sixth.
The visitors applied the early pressure and secured the desired opener in just the 10th minute.
After Kirsten Veeren initially denied Sofie Persson, the rebound was adjudged to have been bundled in by an Olympic defender under pressure from Fire’s Brooke Matheson.
Persson almost made it 2-0 soon after only to see her toepoke finish come back off the near post, but went one better in the 29th minute by shaking off the attention of a defender and spearing home from around the edge of the area.
The Swedish striker again proved too much for the hosts to handle just before the break as she raced away down the left and this time poked her finish in off the far post for a quickfire double.
Olympic attempted to get back into the contest after the restart but couldn’t find a way past Fire goalkeeper Katie Offer, who did well to push over Lizzy Doherty’s long-range effort.
That save proved important as youngster Kirsty Clifford put the result beyond doubt on the hour when she was afforded time in the area to rifle inside the near post.
The home side managed to stem the flow for the remainder of the match but could only draw Offer into another fine save in the final minute as Fire kept a clean sheet in recording their sixth win from seven matches.
Speaking after the match, Olympic attacker Jessica McLean said her side needed to return to basics to rediscover their form.
“I think the simple things let us down the most. If we had have fixed up our passes, our control, our movement off the ball would have helped us a lot better and we would have succeeded in scoring,” McLean said.
Fire goalscorer Sofie Persson felt the match signalled Fire’s intent for finals.
“It felt like a real comeback from last week when we didn’t have as good a game. We played with a calm and confidence we haven’t had in a while,” Persson said.
Olympic FC Women 0
Sunshine Coast FC Women 4 (OWN GOAL 10’ Sofie PERSSON 29’, 42’ Kirsty CLIFFORD 60’)
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