- Launceston United hammered Riverside Olympic 14-0 in April 2026, the biggest winning margin in the recent H2H record.
- Riverside Olympic's WSL record this season is D-L-L-L-L-L, including a 3-3 draw with Launceston City.
- Launceston United's WSL form is mixed but they've scored seven against Launceston City and conceded five and four in defeats.
Cold blooded derby in Launceston
Launceston United's WSL 2026 derby win over Riverside Olympic was arguably the greatest derby result of the season when Al Ollington's team put 14 goals past their long-time rivals on 18 April. Since then, United have gone in opposite directions with an impressive 7-0 win over Launceston City sandwiched between 5-0 and 4-0 defeats to local rivals.
They are mid-table in the WSL standings with about 10 points while Riverside Olympic are bottom with about two points, so Saturday's Tasmanian derby is about pride at both ends of the ladder. United are rightful favourites to win, according to all the odds and the recent H2H history, although Riverside have the edge in terms of all-time wins since the women's version of the rivalry began in 2023.
United have definitely turned the tables in 2025-26 with a couple of 4-0 and 5-0 defeats, so they look to be in a good position to win this. Ollington's line-up has tried to be consistent by being consistent, if that makes sense, with their high-press, wide overloads and front-foot approach making them look like the same team every time.
Riverside need a hero
Their problem, when it works, is that they really get going on the front foot and can put teams away with a barrage of goals if their pressing game clicks. Olivia De Moraes is the spark, but Liz Fogarty and Delana Friesen give United an extra backbone and balance, while Hannah Connolly offers one of Riverside's few attacking flashes. Emil Fadel has been doing a lot of defensive repair work all season and trying to keep his girls together to be competitive, but they haven't clicked. So this really looks like an attack vs block kind of match with Riverside playing deeper, United playing high and trying to press and force turnovers in the final third. Cold, frosty conditions in East Launceston could make the pitch lively early, but the visitors will fancy their chances of taking the game to the hosts and getting the victory. If Riverside can lean on Hernandez and survive the first wave, they can keep it tighter than the 14-0 scoreline in April and make it scrappy. Over 2.5 goals is the way to go on this game, based on the last H2H match and both teams' volatility at the back. A 3-0 or 3-1 win for United looks the most natural option as they will control the tempo and should be able to dominate the ball.
