Mixed emotions for TSS

THE Southport School will approach today’s final GPS First XI fixture with a mix of sadness and satisfaction over their breakthrough 2019 campaign.

Without a premiership since sharing the 2014 honour with Nudgee College, TSS have taken giant strides forward this season to remain a mathematical chance of finishing top entering the final two rounds.

With a bye in next weekend’s final round, their first assignment is to beat Ipswich Grammar School on the road at 1.20pm today.

They must also hope jointleaders Churchie and Toowoomba Grammar draw in Brisbane this afternoon, with both sides then needing to lose their Round 9 fixtures.

Should TSS fail to reach the summit, they will be left to wonder what could have been.

Having finished seventh in 2018, they appeared on track for the title when they opened the season with three-straight wins, but fell back to the pack after losing two and drawing one of their next three.

They returned to the winners’ circle in Round 7 with a 1-0 win over Gregory Terrace. MATILDAS great Heather Garriock has denounced Sam Kerr’s “suck on that one” retort, saying it “came from a bitter place” and overshadowed a stunning World Cup boilover against Brazil.

Kerr, who was made captain by Ante Milicic in March, used her first post-match interview to answer critics of Australia’s poor World Cup loss to Italy.

“We’re back, so suck on that one,” Kerr said. “We don’t listen to the haters.”

The remarks, that were blunt but said with a playful glint in her eye, have engendered a mixed response.

Coach Milicic half laughed when asked about it and reasoned that “listening to the thoughts and opinions of others just saps your energy”.

The Matildas laid it all out on the field in Montpellier to haul themselves back from 2-0 down to reign 3-2 and reignite their stuttering campaign.

“I’m sad that Sam’s come out in the media and acted like that,” said Garriock, who won 130 caps and is now an Optus pundit for this World Cup.

The Matildas travelled to Grenoble yesterday before a final group encounter against Jamaica on Wednesday.