The highlight of this past weekend in the NPL Tasmania competition was Devonport City’s 12-0 thrashing of Clarence United away at Wentworth Park on Saturday.
It was top versus bottom and the score-line
showed the huge difference between the sides.
Given the attendance, one could be
forgiven for thinking that Football Tasmania had insisted that the game be
played in an empty stadium, as is sometimes the case overseas when one club is
punished for crowd misbehaviour or some other transgression.
Photo: Miles Barnard was simply unplayable. Here he scores yet another goal. [PlessPix]
Devonport, the league leaders, got down
to business immediately and Miles Barnard out them ahead after 48 seconds.
Barnard went on to set a record for individual
scoring feats in NPL games. He netted 8
goals, which was one more than Hobart Zebras’ Adam McKeown, who had hit 7 back
in 2013 against Launceston City.
Devonport winger Eddie Bidwell produced
7 assists in this game, which must also be a record.
After Barnard’s opener, goals from Jack
Dance in the 18th and 30th minutes, together with one
from Max Fitzgerald, made it 4-0 at the interval.
In the second half, Barnard scored five
in a row in the opening 20 minutes to take the score to 9-0 before Bidwell
himself got on the scoresheet and made it 10-0.
Barnard struck twice more before the end
to totally demoralise the cellar dwellers.
Where do Clarence go from here? They can’t go any lower as they’re already
rock bottom.
One of their substitutes was Paul
Palmer, a 35-year-old defender who is due to undergo knee surgery in a couple
of weeks’ time.
The only cloud on Devonport’s horizon is
injury concerns about Fitzgerald, who went off with an ankle injury, and
Ignacio Giampaoli, who wasn’t even on the bench.
Photo: A dejected-looking Max Fitzgerald walks gingerly back to the dressing rooms with what looks like an ankle injury [PlessPix]
Devonport play South Hobart next weekend
at home at Valley Road.
Second-placed Olympia Warriors stayed 5
points adrift of Devonport after downing the visiting second-last placed Riverside
Olympic 5-1 at Warrior Park.
The game was preceded by a minute’s
silence in memory of Irini Kalis and Chris Syrginis.
The Kalis name is synonymous with the
Olympia club, while Syrginis was a star defender and attacker in the late 1950s
and the 1960s.
An own-goal by Riverside’s Aaron
Campbell after a quarter of an hour gave Olympia the lead, while Jonathon Ladic
made it 2-0 in the 21st minute.
Chris Wademan pulled a goal back for
Riverside in the 32nd minute, but two goals by Nick Mearns made it 4-1
at the break.
Joffrey N’Koso added Olympia’s fifth 20
minutes from the end.
Photo: Olympia's Mark Ortmann, shown here crossing the ball against Riverside despite the attentions of Riverside's Tom Prince, was back after a lengthy absence [PlessPix]
Fourth-placed Hobart Zebras regained
some confidence after a 3-0 away win over seventh-ranked Launceston City at
Buckby Land Rover Park in Launceston.
After a goalless opening half, Zebras, inspired
by the return from suspension of Jayden Hey, ran over their opponents with Mathew
Sanders netting twice and Dwayne Walsh once.
Third-placed South Hobart stayed 8
points off the pace and 3 points behind Olympia with an easy 2-0 win over
fifth-ranked Glenorchy Knights at South Hobart Oval on Sunday.
Photo: South Hobart's Iskander Van Doorne traps the ball on his chest ahead of Glenorchy Knights' Luke Warrener [PlessPix]
Iskander Van Doorne, South Hobart’s Canadian
import, made both goals in his last game for the club before heading to Germany
to pursue his career.
In the 24th minute, Van
Doorne cut the ball back from the byeline on the right for Ben Hamlett to
hammer home from the edge of the box, while in the 57th minute, Nick
Morton released Van Doorne down the right and his cross was hit home by young substitute
Sam Berezansky.
Knights, without centre-forward Mathew
Nowicki, striker Rowan Heggie and midfield creator Alex Bellini, were largely
impotent.
The speedy Callum Brown could do little
in a side that lacked a cutting edge up front.
Photo: A pensive Glenorchy Knights coach, James Sherman, ponders how to counteract South Hobart [PlessPix]
The curtain-raiser was the Challenge League game between South Hobart and Clarence United, which South won 7-0.
The sad thing, other than the scoreline, was that three of the Clarence players had played for the seniors against Devonport the day before.
Photo: Slice of Cheese blogger Tanner Coad and statistician Ben Smith (both at rear of back row) were kept busy at Wentworth Park with that 12-0 score-line, even if Devonport keeper Nathan Pitchford wasn't [PlessPix]
The curtain-raiser was the Challenge League game between South Hobart and Clarence United, which South won 7-0.
The sad thing, other than the scoreline, was that three of the Clarence players had played for the seniors against Devonport the day before.
NPL
Tasmania (As at 23
June 2019)
TEAM
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
Devonport City
|
14
|
12
|
1
|
1
|
54
|
11
|
37
|
Olympia Warriors
|
14
|
10
|
2
|
2
|
47
|
14
|
32
|
South Hobart
|
13
|
9
|
2
|
2
|
50
|
16
|
29
|
Hobart Zebras
|
14
|
6
|
5
|
3
|
46
|
29
|
23
|
Glenorchy Knights
|
14
|
5
|
2
|
7
|
36
|
29
|
17
|
Kingborough Lions
|
14
|
5
|
1
|
8
|
23
|
32
|
16
|
Launceston City
|
13
|
4
|
3
|
6
|
22
|
23
|
15
|
Riverside Olympic
|
13
|
2
|
0
|
11
|
11
|
43
|
6
|
Clarence United
|
15
|
1
|
0
|
14
|
4
|
105
|
3
|
18 comments:
A minor correction :
Highest win in State League since 2013 was 14-0 win by Olympia FC. vs Knights in 2015.
Hi Walter, I believe south won 13-0 over Clarence in round 1 this year.
Hi Walter not sure the Devonport score was an NPL record given South Hobart beat Clarence 13-0 in round 6
Sorry, guys. My error. I'll amend the story. Thanks for pointing out my error.
Cheers!
Walter
Think you'll find Giampaoli isn't coming back at all for the Strikers, Walter. The Advocate reported he has headed overseas for a trial and Coghlan isn't happy about it.
My mistake, the stat was Devonport Strikers biggest NPLTAS win beating their previous 11 - 0 win against Glenorchy Knights in 2015. Not the biggest NPLTAS win I should've made that more clear to Walter. Sorry guys.
Raph Reynolds leaving soon aswell???
Raph Reynolds is leaving aswell
I do not know if rumours about the imports at various clubs is true or not.
If it is , why are we wasting our time with these imports from US who come here
as a stepping stone for their own benefits? How do the clubs benefit from such players
who come here for part of the year then disappear mid season for a few weeks, then return again
and then leave before the start of the season.
This is a complete waste of time effort and money.
The imports need to be better than the local standard and commit for the full season.
It’s about time clubs look elsewhere for imports if they are going to continue to sign imports.
These guys are looking for an easy way to get to Aus then they go to the mainland or other
countries and state that they have played in Aus NPL which is the league beneath the A League.
What a crock ..,.,,,,,,
The Knights looked heavy legged to me. Not sharp enough and SH passed their way too easily through he midfield.
10.44 .
Agree 100%. Knights are very poor in midfield. For NPL level anyway.
Poor defensively and not much structure or system through there when going forward.
Too often CB just humps it long or if by chance a ball has been played into a midfielder
he is usually under pressure and facing backwards so the ball goes back to a CB who jumps it
long again.
Happens all the time.
6:37
You clearly have a very limited football IQ, criticising CB's when you've identified that the midfield are very poor. What would you have them do if the midfield aren't presenting viable options or coughing the ball up needlessly? May I remind you that it is 11v11, players are often going to be under pressure at this level, especially in the midfield. What would you suggest instead, try to dribble out from the back? Might I also remind you that South are probably the best team at pressing in their opposition half. If players are unable to receive a ball with pressure and retain possession at this level, who is to blame?
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Can't pass out? Go long. Go long? Should of pass out. Get caught passing out? Don't do it. Go long and lose? Bad team. Go long and win? Ugly football. South go long, Olympia go long, port go long, Knights go long? Get criticised. This is NPL guys, not EPL, everybody calm down and enjoy the ride
^^^ anonymous 11.06am amen
11.06 am. I disagree with your very first comment to begin with.
I stated that the Knights midfield had no structure either when attacking and defending.
If there is no structure and they are not positioning themselves to receive the ball then the CB
usually have no option but to go long but they can go wider to FB at times. So I was not criticising
the CB but reinforcing that the midfield is non existent. As you said South press very well in the forward third so why try playing out from the back when they are so good at pressing?
I refer you to your last sentence also......,, who do you think is to blame ?
I think it is obvious who
2.37. Don’t read comments if you don’t like them. People are entitled to opinions based on what they see.
You are correct , every team goes long at times and every team plays out at times . It’s knowing when to do what
based on the situation. Good teams generally have a structure by which they like to play.
If the situation doesn’t allow then you look for alternatives. Some teams don’t seem to have structure or system and just
do what ever happens . This does not result in success or good hands to watch usually.
Don’t read the comments if you don’t understand because it sounds like you don’t.
Dear Anon at 2:37 pm. Thank you. Most insightful thing said on here in a long time. We're saved!!!
Been told Ralph Reynolds is committed to finishing the season with the Strikers. With only 1 import left and big games coming up port may need to make a signing or two. Anyone know the go with Brayden Mann? The story true of him registering with the club? If so now would be the perfect time to slot in
2:41pm
You have completely contradicted yourself in your two comments:
Comment 1 - “Too often CB just humps it long or if by chance a ball has been played into a midfielder he is usually under pressure and facing backwards so the ball goes back to a CB who jumps it long again.
Happens all the time.”
Comment 2 - “As you said South press very well in the forward third so why try playing out from the back when they are so good at pressing?”
You have defeated the point of the argument.
If you were to say that the midfield were non-existent which caused the CB's to play longer on most occasions then I would agree. I would also agree that due to the midfielder's poor body positioning, they had to play straight back to the CB who again had no option other than going long.
From my perspective of the game, I felt that you were unjustly criticising the CB's in having to play longer. As I saw it, they often looked to play short when possible but the midfield coughed it up all too easily and a good opportunity to play short was few and far between. But football is subject to opinion, that is just mine.
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