Match Summaries from Saturday

Photo: It was obviously too wet to change the scoreboard from the reserve game

Reigning Premier League champions South Hobart resumed where they left off last season by winning their opening league match 3-0 away to University at Olinda Grove today.

A free-kick by Jonathon Ladic gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at the break, while Hugh Ludford and Greg Downes completed the scoring in the second half, the latter in injury time.

University lost goalkeeper Rory McCallum with the score at 2-0 and finished the match with ten men as they had already used their three substitutes.

Matthew Besley went in goal for the Students.

South Hobart had earlier lost midfielder Bart Beecroft with a suspected fractured cheek.

Hobart Olympic and Clarence United drew 0-0 at South Hobart in a match of few real chances, the start of which was delayed for 10 minutes because of lightning.

Clarence’s Luke Cripps and Ben Parker both shot wide, while Olympic’s goalkeeper, Dmitri Nester was fortunate to foil Ben Hamlett, whose close-range shot rebounded off the keeper’s head.

Michael Bulis, Carl Larzabal and Danijel Djekanovic squandered chances for Olympic.

Glenorchy Knights scraped home 4-3 against New Town Eagles at KGV Park on Friday night, the latter hitting the woodwork three times - twice through Jacob Kavanagh and once through Chris Wass - and also conceding an own-goal, which ultimately cost it the match.

The Knights appeared to be cruising at half-time when they led 2-0 through goals by Josh Fielding and Amadu Koroma.

But, when Eagles brought on substitutes Cormac Collins, just before the break, and Alex Leszczynski and Jacob Malakoff at half-time, the balance of the game changed.

Collins pulled a goal back seven minutes after the interval, while a re-taken penalty by Leszczynski in the 66th minute made it 2-2.

Ben Whitehall had initially won the penalty when he was pushed by Knights goalkeeper Ben Peter at a corner, but when Peter saved Kavanagh’s spot-kick, referee Craig Phillips ordered the penalty to be re-taken because of encroachment by Mynonge Kamba.

Substitute James Hope restored the Knights’ lead a minute later with a superb long-range strike, which took a slight deflection as it left his boot.

When Matthew Rybak headed past his own goalkeeper, Andrew Savage, four minutes from the end to make it 4-2 for the Knights, the game seemed over, but a header by Chris Wass in injury time made the scoreline 4-3 and much more respectable for Eagles.

Metro will meet New Town Eagles next Friday in the final of the Division One section of the Summer Cup competition after both won their semi-finals at Olinda Grove today.

Metro easily overcame the highly fancied Beachside 4-0, while Eagles drew 1-1 with Taroona and then won the penalty shoot-out 4-3.

Beachside were no match for Metro, who led 3-0 at the interval through two goals by Nathan Brown and one by Scottish import, Ricky Orr.

One of Metro’s other Scottish imports, midfielder Colin Sweeney, netted the fourth six minutes after the break.

Orr created two of the goals and netted his second in two games, which means Metro’s decision to import the three Scotsmen is certainly paying off.

Beachside hit back strongly in the second half, but good goalkeeping by substitute Michael McKenna kept them at bay.

Richard Leszczynski put Eagles ahead against Taroona, but a goal by Ruaidhri Carey made it 1-1 and a penalty shoot-out then decided the outcome.

Steven Bukowiecki, Matt Williams, Steve Louden and John Holliday netted spot-kicks for Eagles, while Marcus Atkinson, Toby Dove and Stefano Flonta were successful for Taroona.

Marcus Proud missed for Eagles, as did Hamish Macgregor and Alex Edwards for Taroona.

[Detailed match reports to follow.]