After thrashing an understrength Waratahs 10-nil in their deferred week 2 clash on Saturday night, Souths came back from 4-2 down to draw 4-all against a much stronger line-up on Sunday.

The point was enough to ensure they can’t be knocked out of the top two with three rounds remaining, and gives them a one-point buffer over Flames in the battle for the minor premiership.

Standing in for Andrew Davy, Denby Budden reported Souths were in the mood to move the ball on Saturday.

“Lily Neilson was in everything, scoring three and having a hand in most of the other seven with Jodie Ellis being in the right spot to score four with her last the best from a tomahawk shot,” he said.

The inclusion of Abigail Doolan, Tahlia Rekunow and Nicole Reid-Smith on Sunday made Waratahs a different proposition, while Souths were without their star goalscorers from the night before.

Waratahs struck first but Souths responded through Amber Whitney and Alice Bowler to lead 2-1 at half-time.

Doolan was then prominent early as Waratahs skipped out to a 4-2 lead.

It was Whitney who again sparked Souths revival along with Michelle Coates and Chelsea Thornton, Thornton forcing an error and Coates stealing the ball and scrambling it over the line before Thornton tapped it in at the right post to tie up the scores.

Budden said Meg Lye and Vanessa Harwood were excellent in both games while Callie Michel impressed the coach and her teammates with her calmness under pressure on Sunday.

Waratahs coach Josh Worpel said Sunday’s result was very disappointing, after being two goals up with seven minutes to go, his side just switching off.

“We started turning over too much ball, and weren’t working hard enough when we did turn the ball over,” he said.

Flames coach Barrie Pritchard was similarly scathing of his sides first half effort against Services, who took a 1-nil lead into the break. 

“We never really held the ball at all, and we were quite standoffish, we weren’t trying to contest the ball,” he said.

“We were lucky it only 1-nil at half-time. I credit our defence with at least holding them out.”

In the second half they discovered their form from the previous week, Tegan Smith scoring off the reverse off a rebound seven minutes in to square up the game.

“After that Kim (Resch) came out of hibernation and caused a lot of grief for them,” Pritchard said

They missed chances in the ninth, 10^th, 11^th and 12^th minutes before Resch grabbed her first, picking up the rebound from a shot from Kate Ferguson.

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Much to Pritchard’s annoyance, Services hit straight back.

But two minutes later, a long ball found Resch on half-way and she ran about 40m to the top of the circle and rammed it home to put Flames back in front. 

She scored again in the 25^th and 31^st minutes, Naomi Spark sealing the win off a corner variation three minutes from full-time.

Pritchard said the difference in the second half was “more intensity and more aggression”.

Resch and midfield cohorts Spark, Ferguson, Jess Fleury and Julie Rodda really drove the resurgence. 

Olympians meanwhile moved a step closer to a semi-final spot with what coach Andrew Farmilo described as a pretty good performance.

“We controlled the ball pretty well and put our chances away when we had them,” he said.

Tudors drew first blood but Olympians hit back to level at half-time before upping the ante in the second half.

“We probably finished a little bit stronger than they did and had a bit more ball up in their 25,” Farmilo said.

He thought they were particularly good defensively, the decision to push Em Chaffey back to defence working well and giving Farmilo some good for thought. 

His thinking was that her experience might give them a bit more composure at the back.

And while they overlapped well, the biggest difference to the previous week against Flames was they cut down their turnovers.

“We were probably harder on the ball and tackled a bit better,” Farmilo said.

Chaffey was one of their four goalscorers with Jane Makome (2), Ella Constable and Olivia Climpson also finding the back of the net.

Kate Reynolds was as usual strong in the midfield, Farmilo also impressed with Chaffey, Climpson and Gabby Hathway.

The win pushes them six points clear of fifth-placed Services with three rounds remaining.

TABLE: South United 28, Flames 27, Waratahs 20, Olympians 14, Services 8, Tudor Wests 5.