THEY have not had the chance to play much hockey together this season, but on Saturday twins Sarah and Jessica Watterson showed just how valuable they are for Souths when part of the same line up.

Sarah scored a second half double and Jess found the mark from a tight angle to help Souths post a 4-2 win over Lithgow Zig Zag in the women’s Premier League Hockey minor preliminary semi-final.

With Bathurst City having toppled Parkes 1-0 in the major semi-final earlier in the afternoon, Souths walked out onto the Cooke Hockey Complex turf determined to join them in the second week of finals.

While it was mission accomplished, Zig Zag pushed Souths the entire match and it took some individual brilliance from the Wattersons to give their side the edge. Souths coach Damien Carter paid tribute to Zig Zag, whose 2014 campaign came to an end with the defeat.

“They played well Zig Zag, they did not miss a trap. Every ball that bounced they trapped it and it was a smooth trap, there was no loss of control of the ball. Their number three [Claire Bosman], I don’t think that I have ever seen her play that well,” he said.

“At half-time I told that girls that we weren’t moving off the ball for each other.

“There was a lot of space in the middle and we are going to have to watch that next week, but doing that also creates space for the Wattos, so it’s a catch 22.”

It was Zig Zag who landed the first blow of the sudden death affair, Jess Harris slotting the ball into an open goal four minutes in after a team-mate had drawn out and beaten Souths goalkeeper Kate Brown.

Former Souths centre half Keely Hunter and centre forward Amelia Leard saw Zig Zag keep the pressure on, but Souths also had their chances as both teams transitioned quickly from defence to attack.

Jess Watterson had a good attempt blocked while Hunter beautifully trapped a powerful Tahlia Cranston drive off a penalty corner play as the game drew towards half-time.

However, with Souths’ third penalty corner of the match Hunter did not get such a clean trap on another Cranston effort. The ball ricocheted to the right post where Mandy George smartly flicked the ball in to lock things up at 1-all.

Zig Zag began the second half the better of the two sides, Brown having to make a pair of smart blocks to deny Leard and Kate Wilkins.

But seven minutes into the stanza Zig Zag found a way past Brown, a penalty corner variation seeing the visitors lay the ball off left to Leard who flicked her effort into the top corner.

Shortly after Harris had an attempt cleared off the line by Maddy Boyce. It was clear Souths needed some spark and it was Sarah Watterson who provided.

She carried the ball wide to the left, drew out Zig Zag goalkeeper Kim Northey then powered in a reverse stick effort to put Souths back on level terms.

With 18 minutes left Sarah Watterson scored again off a penalty corner play then Jess Watterson added another with an effort cut in from a tight angle along the baseline to make it 4-2.

That goal came with just over six minutes left, but Zig Zag kept coming.

Steph Plunkett had to clear two efforts off the line - one from Bosman the other from Leard - to ensure her side advanced to a semi-final showdown with Parkes.

“It was a bit of a heart attack game, but we won,” Carter said.

“Finals are totally different than the season, I told the girls that, and City proved it going to Parkes and beating them 1-0. 

“So what is to say we can’t go to Parkes next week with this team and beat them over there?”

SOUTHS 4 (Sarah Watterson 2, Jess Watterson, Mandy George) defeated LITHGOW ZIG ZAG 2 (Amelia Leard, Jess Harris)