Words: Matt Dorman

Olympic FC Women are back on track for finals football after seeing off Western Pride Women 2-1 at Goodwin Park on Wednesday night.

All three goals arrived in the first 45 minutes as the hosts ended a six-match losing run, moving four points clear of seventh-placed Peninsula Power Women in the process.

Pride can now only finish as high as eighth as they sit two points shy of SWQ Thunder Women with three fixtures remaining.

Olympic received the confidence-boosting start they needed in just the second minute as Jessica McLean open the scoring from her side’s first real possession of the match, adding the finishing touches to a flowing team move.

In an up-tempo start to the match, Pride soon came back into the contest with Kara Mowbray grabbing her second goal in as many weeks.

The former Westfield W-League player capitalised on a defensive mistake to level matters at 1-1 within 10 minutes.

The match became somewhat cagey after Mowbray’s equaliser with the visitors hopeful of kicking on to back-to-back victories for the first time season.

However, Olympic restored their advantage before the break when 17-year-old defender Bronte Watson stepped forward from the back and hit a moving long-range effort which found a way past Pride ‘keeper Amelia Quabba.

Olympic continued to attack after the restart but were unable to make the most of their opportunities, while Mowbray and Lorena Maggio posed a threat through the middle for the away side.

A single-goal lead ultimately proved enough for Olympic though as they found form ahead of a tough final two matches, beginning with a visit from Palm Beach SC Women on Sunday.

Pride, meanwhile, are on the road for a fifth straight match in heading to Moreton Bay United Women.

Olympic FC Women 2 (Jessica McLEAN 2’ Bronte WATSON 37’)
Western Pride FC Women 1 (Kara MOWBRAY 9’)