GLENORCHY KNIGHTS 5-3 TILFORD ZEBRAS
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Second-placed Glenorchy Knights kept the Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League title wide open with this exciting 5-3 win over league-leaders Tilford Zebras, who had been threatening to run away with the championship.
Knights are now just 5 points adrift of Zebras and with a game in hand.
Zebras had more than enough chances to make a game of this, but their finishing was poor.
By squandering their openings, they played right into the hands of the Knights, who made the most of their chances and even scored twice near the end when down to ten men, Corey Smith having sent off midway through the second half.
Smith received a yellow card near half-time for persistent infringement and then a second yellow after bundling goalkeeper Troy Kaden over the line after he had caught a dangerous high cross.
The Knights did not need to be asked to take advantage of the Zebras’ profligacy. They played their socks off in a marvellous team effort and took their chances clinically.
Jade Clay was magnificent and his speed, vision and passing were exemplary, while Amadu Koroma’s speed and bravery were a lesson to all young players.
The Knights’ fifth and final goal summed up these two players’ contributions to the victory.
Clay dispossessed Jayden Welch deep in the Knights’ defensive third, near the corner flag on their right flank. He then sprinted forward with the ball and delivered a superb through ball down the inside-right channel for Koroma to chase.
Koroma showed a clean pair of heels to Ryan Smith and Andrew Telega and his speed and bravery enabled him to nip in and just beat the advancing Kaden to the ball and score.
Zebras began strongly but it was soon evident that they were not their usual sharp selves when Ricky Self shot over the bar from Ben Crosswell’s pass after just 8 minutes.
It seemed business as usual for the league-leaders when they hit the front in the 13th minute following a free-kick on the edge of the box, awarded against Josh Fielding for handball.
Self ran over the ball and touched it for Crosswell to run in and score with a low drive around the wall and inside the unsighted Alex Tatnell’s left-hand post.
In the 20th minute, the alarm bells rang again in the Knights’ defence as Kurt Engels sprinted after a through-ball, but a timely intervention by the mature Brodie Green saved the day for the home side.
The Knights’ best chance then fell to Koroma, who broke through the Zebras rearguard on the right but delayed his shot and eventually had his effort deflected into the side-netting for a corner.
Dwayne Walsh should have added a second for Zebras in the 20th minute, but he smacked his shot from the left against Tatnell’s right-hand post.
A minute later, it was 1-1 as Fielding took advantage of Telega’s foul on Corey Smith to take a quick free-kick and curl it past the slowly forming wall and inside Kaden’s left-hand post.
In the 28th minute, Henry Fagg’s low cross from the right was not cut out by Alex Holmes, who granted possession to Crosswell, but he shot centimetres wide of the far left-hand post.
One of the candidates for ‘goal of the season’ came in the 41st minute and gave Knights a 2-1 lead.
A rare stray pass from Brett Pullen in midfield enabled Fielding to play the ball to Smith on the right touch-line by the half-way line. He knocked the ball inside to Koroma, who started a diagonal run to the left before playing the ball into the path of Tom Sherman on the left wing.
Sherman unleashed a thunderbolt from 30 metres that gave Kaden no chance as it rocketed into the far top corner of the net.
A minute before the break, Walsh beat the Knights’ off-side trap - Mr Barker correctly allowed the move to continue despite the raised flag of his assistant because Walsh had come from a deep position and was not off-side, although a couple of his team-mates may have been - and with an empty goal looming, volleyed over the bar.
Zebras coach Nick Lapolla made a change five minutes after the resumption, bringing on Aaron Brazendale in place of Engels.
Zebras immediately exerted pressure and, following a corner from the right, only a clearance off the line by Clay saved the Knights.
In the 53rd minute, Walsh collided with Tatnell as he went for a through-ball and both players required treatment but were able to continue.
The Knights grabbed a match-winning lead in the 59th minute with a counter-attack that richly deserved a goal.
Corey Smith released Clay down the right and, in full flight, he thumped a tremendous shot against Kaden’s left-hand post, the ball rebounding to Smith, who finished off with aplomb to make it 3-1 for the Knights.
Two minutes later, Pullen’s glancing header went just wide of the far post as the Knights received a reminder that they were playing the league-leaders.
A minute later, Pullen squandered an excellent chance. Brazendale had played the ball back to Crosswell from inside the box on the right and he laid it off for Pullen, who dragged his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
The pressure was telling, however, and Brayden Pace made it a goal the difference with a fine finish from 12 metres after the tightly marked Brazendale had cleverly given the ball to Walsh on the right and he cut it back from the byline.
Smith’s dismissal in the 67th minute could have spelled disaster for the Knights, but they redoubled their efforts and took the game right up to their opponents, who were leaving themselves vulnerable at the back as they searched for goals.
Crosswell almost embarrassed Tatnell in the 76th minute with a low shot from range, but although the ball wriggled out of the keeper’s hands, it went just wide of the post and slithered out for a corner.
In the 80th minute, Walsh sent in a great shot, but Tatnell managed to turn it high and wide for a corner.
Three minutes later, Fielding beat Self on the touchline near the half-way line and played the ball into the middle for Koroma, who appeared off-side. There was no whistle and the Knights striker headed for goal and beat Kaden to make it 4-2 for the home-side.
There was still plenty of life in this game, however, and even when Koroma grabbed his marvellous second to make it 5-2 four minutes from the end, the action was far from over.
Three minutes into stoppage time, Pace made it 5-3, the ball having crossed the line and come back out before being fired back at goal by Walsh, whereupon Adrian Lawler handled it to stop it going into the net.
Assistant referee Mr Collins had already flagged for the goal, however, and no red card was shown to Lawler.
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- Glenorchy Knights coach, Eamonn Kelly, said:
“I thought it was a very good game of football.
“We were very positive coming in to the game. We’ve been asking for consistency.
“It’s not much point in getting consistency against the weaker teams, but tonight we stood up and I think we beat them at football and I think that’s where we won the game.
“ Young Amadu [Koroma] up front played the lone soldier. Brilliant game. Absolute brilliant game.
“Smithers a stupid send-off again. The first yellow card, I don’t think he deserved. The second one, yeah, he did deserve, so two yellows means a red. It’s as simple as that.
“He’ll be disciplined for that. He’s really let the side down.
“But, with ten men, I think we battled well. A credit to all of them.”
- Tilford Zebras coach, Nick Lapolla, said:
“In the end, I thought it was disastrous. We completely fell apart.
“I mean, the game should have been won in the first half. We couldn’t buy a goal. It’s as simple as that.
“How many opportunities did we have? We just could not buy a goal tonight.
“We should have had five or six in the first half.
“But, credit to Knights. They’ve taken their chances and they’ve outplayed us tonight.
“It’s a good wake-up call to the boys. The premiership is wide open.”
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Glenorchy Knights: Tatnell - Wiggins (Hope 66), Green (Roberts 85), Holmes, Lawler - Clay, Fielding, Marsh, Sherman (Kamba 90) - C Smith, Koroma (Substitute not used: Peter)
Booked: Smith 48, Fielding 75
Sent off: Smith 67
Goals: Fielding 25, Sherman 41, Smith 59, Koroma 83, 86
Tilford Zebras: Kaden - Telega, R Smith, Pace - K Engels (Brazendale 50), Fagg, Self, Pullen, Welch - Walsh, Crosswell (Substitutes not used: Hall, Connolly, Mainella)
Booked: Telega 80
Goals: Crosswell 13, Pace 65, 90+3
Att: 180
Ref: K Barker
22 comments:
shame to see smith get sent off for a soft bump on the keeper, i was standing quite close to where it happened and there was nothing in it,i dont care what people say but smith was having a good game and it was so good sticking to the zebras, go knights
I know Corey Smith has been copping a lot of slack on here lately, and I personally never knew who he was until he got sent off last night. Whether he deserved it or not, the way he reacted later, after the Knights scored a goal, by jumping down through the crowd in the stands to yell out in front of everyone “f**k you Zebras” and “shove it” to all Zebras supporters was truly disgraceful and so inappropriate in front of children who were going along to have fun. I was truly shocked by what he did and don’t know how the people sitting with him could not have died of embarrassment. I hope he gets reprimanded by Soccer Tasmania as some people around him were saying how they were frightened by his actions and actually moved out of the stands.
From what I hear, he seems to enjoy everyone talking about him on this site, but how could you when it goes past the way you play soccer and its all personal attacks on your personality. If he hadn’t of done what he did last night, I would never have written a thing about him, but as far as I’m concerned, he is living up to what everyone says about him. Even his own team mates are saying negative things and he seems to not be respected by most of the soccer community.
Qwerty point taken, Apologies to anyone offended who was not directly involved in the disgusting abuse I received upon being sent off. Definitely not justifying my reaction but trying to explain why my emotions did get the better of me.
Was very over reactive in celebration upon our 4th goal obviously caught up in the emotion although words were definitely much more tactful than you have written and did NOT say the words quoted.
I agree it was very ordinary on my behalf although I would like it if we stuck to exact facts.
Great fight shown by army and the boys after my send off and also kel for sticking to game plan. I let the team down and lets leave it at that.
Up to me to turn it around and hopefully let my football do the talking. I have a lot of thinking to do.
Also for your information I definitely do NOT enjoy reading some of the things on here at all about myself and why would I? I am disappointed in myself for getting to this point in the season(in which i have played well) and having people talk about the negative things only and there is only one person who can fix that being myself.
Once again apologies to anyone who took offense but to say they were frightened is a slight exaggeration and very far from the truth. Also thank you to those that see both ends of the stick.
Corey Smith really needs to be brough back down to earth, and realise he isn't that great. I was at the game on friday and i was disgusted with his actions also. I was in the grand stands and my young brother who was sitting beside me, nearly being knocked over by coreys little power trip. And yes i can back up qwerty you were swearing. Corey honestly needs to realise it's just a game, and him show boating isn't going to get him anywhere in life.
Syd the sloth- Corey Smith? I swear they could be twins.
Great to see the title race wide and open now guys makes the season much more interesting!
sadly, Kelly's comments to walter after the game are a joke.
How can the coach say at half time ..... "don't be fu**en soft if there is a 50/50 ball with the keeper fu**en go through him!"
A disgraceful comment to begin with ....but 2 points here:
1. The coach bags corey for getting sent off ... but that was his instruction!
2. with kelly's recent past - reprimands and all - how can he be appointed southern mens coach ?
So FFT can say in one hand:
"this behaviour can not be tolerated" .... but clearly this is just to save face!
because in the other hand here's an appointment if you will be a 'good boy'.
digressing: A real shame about corey! I must say I'm not a fan - and his actions on Friday night will support this
Corey everyone knows that you CAN play but there is a bit more to it than that buddy!
Your actions and behaviour at times is nothing short of poor.
You wonder why people give you such a caning!
Passion is one thing but stupidity is another.
I would have cut you from the squad ages ago and even deregistered you from the club.
How your employer condones this behaviour is beyond me!!
kelly's comments again to Walter regarding corey's send off:
“He’ll be disciplined for that. He’s really let the side down."
I trust kelly will be disciplined as well for his comments!
When will HE learn that the discipline starts from the top!
On a good note:
Shermo's goal was SUPERB!!
Well done son !
Digger, I agree with some points but the one about kelly saying it's a 50/50 ball go through him and win it, is just a normal comment that all coaches and captains say from all clubs. And if the player doesn't challenge for a 50/50 he or she should be drag. The problem with Corey he trys to win the 10/90 contestwhich are just stupid.
First of all... Eamon Kelly is probably the best coach around, you dont see him running around the best players poaching them like other highly rated coaches in the state.. No names. He simply has taken a young team who everyone looked past at the start of the season! Look at them now, 2nd and just beaten the top side! And its the way he goes about things to thank for that.
Corey has Passion! he is a idiot but atleast he does everything he can to get what he wants!!! and its easy to bag him out but stick him in melb and ull find he is no more than another face in the crowd... so grow up and see the bigger picture, what corey does is seen in every corner of the globe in the worlds game! Keep it up Corey! but at the same time, watch urself. ur doing yout club no favours nor peoples shaded oppioun.
Shout out to Josh Fielding (Fish) who had a blinder on friday night.. ran ricky and brett and nice bath!
is anyone at all surprised at corey worthington's antics- all for show and no substance- the most over-rated (player- for use of a better word) every one complains , corey you've had an x on your head since high school, and noone has done anything. if you get away with it good on you, i always thought you were superman, but wow you got everyone fooled. c'mon yellow gemi- wortho doesn't need a body guard, he's a big boy!!
and how the one man gang zebras(crosswell) puts up with a measley team backboned by braz, smith pullen and telega, beyond me. shut down cross, leave him to a goal a game if you can and watch zebras hopes go down the proverbial s##t hole. just piss him off he's a loose cannon, but has ticker. here i thought thinking zebras were bringing their glocks on the field
This blog is a joke! Amadu Koroma was brilliant friday night, josh fielding tremendous, alex holmes and brodie green shut the zebras strike force down and all anyone can speak about is zebras had a bad game and the corey incident!
Credit where credit is due and I have watched a lot of soccer over the years. Knights did not let zebras play and fully deserved their win. once again zebras weak links showed out against better opponents. Jade Clay gave Jayden Welch a lesson, Smith made Telega look second rate being involved in first two and scoring third and that match up was the difference before brain explosion, Koroma killed the back four for pace and caught out the zebras defence who are ok going forward (Fagg) but very ordinary when actually defending, Fielding and Marsh ran the midfield! Corey's actions were terrible and although I have been positive about him until now I have to say I can now understand why there are issues there with Kelly as needs to pull his head in, but why let that incident over shadow a fantastic game with 8 goals between the top two sides.
Can't wait to see how season pans out now with South back in form also. kanakirakis for vic tuting.
um as i have said previously, i saw amadu when he was a kid and he was sensational.
Corey I see that actions speak louder that words, but your actions over the years that you have played football have spoken reams to the masses. As the years have progressed your actions are not improving.
I think that this is unfortunate as you do have natural talent. And most clubs would like to have the player in you in their senior team.
I would have thought that in your position (career) you would be striving to be seen as a role model with in the football community, and for the greater sporting fraternity abroad.
Simply due to being employed in a position to mentor the youth, as mentioned in the Mercury a little while ago.
How would you think the parents of children that may have been sitting in the crowd on Friday night would have reacted. Although i wasn't there, I think I know how I would react. (credit where credits due from what I've seen, you look lke you work well with the kids).
Yellow cards come at times unjustly and this can frustrate, move on, conceal your frustration and hide that side of you that people are embarrassed for you about. I think in the long term it can only effect you off the field in time to come. I wish you the best and hope you concentrate on the ball....
Regardless of what van djik says below "corner of the globe" stuff... when walking off the field, the "things that a player does stays on the field"(CSmith), but the memories seem to stay on the minds of the players officials and spectators for a long time after.
Corey I see that actions speak louder that words, but your actions over the years that you have played football have spoken reams to the masses. As the years have progressed your actions are not improving.
I think that this is unfortunate as you do have natural talent. And most clubs would like to have the player in you in their senior team.
I would have thought that in your position (career) you would be striving to be seen as a role model with in the football community, and for the greater sporting fraternity abroad.
Simply due to being employed in a position to mentor the youth, as mentioned in the Mercury a little while ago.
How would you think the parents of children that may have been sitting in the crowd on Friday night would have reacted. Although i wasn't there, I think I know how I would react. (credit where credits due from what I've seen, you look lke you work well with the kids).
Yellow cards come at times unjustly and this can frustrate, move on, conceal your frustration and hide that side of you that people are embarrassed for you about. I think in the long term it can only effect you off the field in time to come. I wish you the best and hope you concentrate on the ball....
Regardless of what van djik says below "corner of the globe" stuff... when walking off the field, the "things that a player does stays on the field"(CSmith), but the memories seem to stay on the minds of the players officials and spectators for a long time after.
danny prestage. get your spelling right eightball .are you taking the piss out of danny or did you ever play against him and he made you look stupid .sorry that could have been anyone .i bet walter is fearful for his job given that you are the biggest flogger /blogger on his site .have you a job .mm. very immature could teach u to make lasagne .cheers
i think Geoff should eat his own words after his comment before the game last week.. "I think Zebras will defeat knights quite easily". Couldnt be more wrong right now ay?
Dont write any team off against anyone this year as there has been some shock results already!
haha unlike yeah i do, thats why im not on here everyday. i shouldn't need to defend myself, when everything i hear comes straight from the camps. lets get to reality shall we....
reality2 i think you should apolagize to 8ball as he didnt relize the spelling of the great mans name, is there maybe something going on between you 2?
does anyone know if corey misses this weeks statewide cup match after being sent off ?????
how many games did corey get ?
4 weeks, indefinate though coz eamonn might be giving him an in-club suspension
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