Summer Cup Finals and other Summer Cup results - 4 March 2023

 

 

Photo:  Devonport Strikers with the NPL Summer Cup trophy for 2023. [PlessPix]

NPL Summer Cup Final

Devonport Strikers 2 (R Garrido 33, A Dulleh 36) beat South Hobart 1 (J Lancaster 47)

Photo:  Devonport's Roberto Garrido in a race with South Hobart's Lachie Semmler and Jacob Lancaster. [PlessPix]

Under-21 Summer Cup Final

Launceston City 2-2 Clarence Zebras

[Launceston City win 4-3 in penalty shoot-out]

Photo:  Clarence Zebras keeper Aiden Featherstone is beaten by a Launceston City penalty in the shoot-out. [PlessPix]  

Southern Championship Summer Cup

Nelson Eastern Suburbs 0-3 New Town White Eagles

Hobart City Beachside 1-6 University

Taroona 3-3 Hobart United

[Taroona won penalty shoot-out 5-4] 

Photo:  South Hobart's Harry Oates takes on a Devonport opponent in the Under-21 Summer Cup game. [PlessPix] 

Northern Championship Summer Cup

Riverside Olympic 2 (T Roberts 69, K Shrestha 71) drew with Devonport Strikers 2 J Dance 27, B Chilcott 89

[Devonport Strikers won penalty shoot-out 7-6]

Burnie United 1 (J Broome 3) lost to Northern Rangers 4 (B Jordan 35, W Howell 69, K Philpott 71, D Sparshott 86)

Photo:  Knights Rowan Pitt and Tomas Brkic confront a Riverside Olympic opponent. [PlessPix]  

NPL Under-21 Summer Cup

South Hobart 2 (M Tarte 45, T Squibb 59) beat Devonport Strikers 0

Riverside Olympic 0 lost to Glenorchy Knights 5 (K Pitt 45, 83, J Richardson 73, R Bradford 86, T Brkic 89)

Photo:  Launceston City, winners of the 2023 NPL Under-21 Summer Cup. [PlessPix]  

Women’s Summer Cup

Clarence Zebras 4 (C Stalker 5, E Diafokeris 27, M Baric 84,89) drew with Kingborough Lions United 4 (L Davis 41, 71, 72, N Moutsatsos 53)

[Clarence Zebras won penalty shoot-out 5-3]

Photo:  Devonport's Brody Denehey shoots at goal against South Hobart. [PlessPix]  

NPL Summer Cup

Launceston City 2 (T Simeoni 21, 28) beat Clarence Zebras 0

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Kane Hatcher gets to the ball ahead of a Launceston City opponent. [PlessPix] 

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights' Nick Mearns in full flight against Riverside Olympic. [PlessPix]

2023 NPL season launched in Launceston this morning

Photo: The captains or player representatives of the eight 2023 NOL Tasmania clubs at the season launch in Launceston today. [PlessPix]

Matt Bulkeley, the CEO of Football Tasmania, officially launched the 2023 NPL Tasmania season in Launceston this morning.

All eight NPL clubs were represented by players and officials at the launch, which was held at Peppers Silos Hotel beside the Tamar River.

Bulkeley said the launch was held in Launceston in recognition of the fact that NPL history was being made as, for the first time ever in the NPL Tasmania competition, there were four northern clubs involved, in addition to the four southern clubs. 

The 2023 NPL Tasmania season will involve Launceston City, Launceston United, Riverside Olympic and Devonport Strikers from the northern half of the State, and South Hobart, Glenorchy Knights, Clarence Zebras and Kingborough Lions United from the southern half of Tasmania.

Photo:  Players, coaches and club representatives of the eight NPL Tasmania clubs at today’s season launch in Launceston. [PlessPix]

He acknowledged that in previous versions of State League competitions before the foundation of the NPL in 2013 (as the Victory League), there were more northern clubs involved.

At one stage, the State League included clubs such as Burnie United, Ulverstone and  George Town, which made for very exciting competitions involving many parts of Tasmania.

Photo: Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley launches the 2023 NPL Tasmania season. [PlessPix]

Bulkeley said the 2023 season would traverse new territory in the sense that it would comply with international transfer windows and encompass professional players, some of whom were imports.

Tasmania would have to fall in line with rules and regulations that apply to all NPL competitions in all States.

He also said the winner of the home-and-away 21-game competition would be the champions, but that there would also be a finals series in all leagues to determine a finals winner at the end of the season.

The Under-21 competition would underpin the senior NPL competition. 

Photo: Representatives from Launceston United, the new kids on the NPL block. [PlessPix]

Bulkely also announced a new competitions management system for football, namely the DRIBL app, that Football Tasmanian was investing in.

"The old one was well past its best and we're hoping this one will make life easier for everyone," Bulkeley said.

"It's exciting for the future." 

Photo: Today’s 2023 NPL season launch in Launceston. [PlessPix]

I spoke to Devonport coach Tom Ballantyne at the event and he said his side had not been at full strength for any of its three games in the Summer Cup.

He said some players were still to arrive and that he'd be missing as many as eight first-choice players  for tomorrow's NPL Summer Cup Final, scheduled for 3pm at Windsor Park 1 ground. 

I don't know what South Hobart coach Ken Morton would say about this.

He has had scouts watching Devonport regularly and providing reports to him.

South Hobart will have a team lunch in Launceston tomorrow before the final.

I had a look at Windsor Park today and its a venue of vast open expanses and spectators will need to bring sunscreen and seating, I'd say.

It's going to be a long day. 

Photo: Players and officials at the launch function. [PlessPix]

Sunday’s two games between Launceston United and Kingborough Lions United at Birch Avenue have been cancelled.

Kingborough said a late change of schedule from Saturday to Sunday made it impossible for them to field teams as players had already made other arrangements. 

Plenty of Summer Cup action all over the State tomorrow and on the weekend

Photo: Devonport captain Kieran Mulraney (left) and Devonport coach Tom Ballantyne (centre) are quietly confident about the Summer Cup Final against South Hobart on Saturday. [PlessPix]

The 2023 NPL season launch will take place in Launceston tomorrow [Friday] at 11am.

Captains, or another player, representing each NPL club will attend the launch at Peppers Silo Hotel.

All the Summer Cup Finals will be held in Launceston on Saturday for the very first time.

The NPL Summer Cup Final is scheduled for 3pm at Windsor Park 1 and is between Devonport Strikers and South Hobart.

Both teams are unbeaten in the Summer Cup series, but Devonport have the more impressive form.

They have scored 21 goals in their three outings and have conceded none.

South Hobart found themselves 3-0 down in their last game before winning 5-3, so that is testimony to their resilience and ability to fight back from adversity.

Devonport should be at full strength and will start as favourites.

South Hobart will be without Jayden Hey, who is not fully fit, while Bradley Lakoseljac should be ready to resume after missing the last game through injury.

The Under-21 Summer Cup Final is also at Windsor Park and kicks off at 12.30pm on Saturday.

It is between Launceston City and Clarence Zebras and in the old days would have been regarded as ‘the Italian derby’.

This promises to be a close game and the slightly earlier start (it was originally scheduled to kick off at 1pm) is to cater for a possible penalty shoot-out.

In other games in Launceston on Saturday, South Hobart and Devonport Strikers meet in an Under-21 Summer Cup match on Windsor Park 1 at 10am.

Riverside Olympic take on Glenorchy Knights in an Under-21 Summer Cup match at Windsor Park 2 at 2.30pm.

At 5.30pm, Riverside Olympic play Glenorchy Knights in an NPL Summer Cup game at Windsor Park 1 in a fixture designed to give both sides a fourth game in the series.

The same rationale applies to the game between Launceston City and Clarence Zebras NPL teams scheduled for 5.30pm at Buckby Motors Park.

In the south of the State, KGV Park will be the centre of the action for the Southern Championship Summer Cup.

Nelson Eastern Suburbs take on New Town White Eagles at 9.30am, while Hobart City Beachside meet University at 11.45am and Taroona play Hobart United at 2pm.

At 4.15pm, the Women’s Summer Cup features Clarence Zebras against Kingborough Lions United.

In the Northern Championship Summer Cup, Somerset Sharks host Ulverstone at Cardigan Street tomorrow [Friday] at 7pm.

On Saturday, Riverside Olympic meet Devonport Strikers at 10am at Windsor Park 2, while Burnie United host Northern Rangers at Montello Park at 2pm.

On Sunday, in the Women’s Summer Cup, South Hobart entertain Taroona at South Hobart Oval at 11.45am.

In the Under-21 Summer Cup, Launceston United host Kingborough Lions United at noon at Birch Avenue 1 in Launceston, while at the same venue at 2pm, the two clubs’ NPL sides play a Summer Cup match to complete the double-header.

In the Southern Championship Summer Cup on Sunday, Olympia Warriors meet South Hobart at South Hobart Oval at 2pm.

 

Sunday Summer Cup games were far from rubbish and produced exciting football

Photo:  Aerial gymnastics in the Hobart United versus University game on Sunday. [PlessPix]

 Sunday was a much cooler day than Saturday, but the various Summer Cup games were as exciting as the ones on Saturday.

Olympia Warriors easily smashed Nelson Eastern Suburbs 5-1, despite having captain Brayton Allen sent off after just half an hour.

Nelson actually took the lead on the half-hour through Will Stalker, but the Warriors recovered and, playing with just 10 men, scored five goals.

Olympia led 2-1 at the break after Joel Sammut and Tyson Barrett netted within five minutes of each other just before the interval.

Barrett went on to complete his hat-trick with goals in the 50^th and 75^th minutes, while Jacob Clothier also got on the score-sheet in the 70^th minute.

Photo:  Hobart United's Sean Heathorn is just a fraction late to stop University's Lachlan Brown from heading at goal. [PlessPix] 

Hobart United lost their goalkeeper in the warm-up as they prepared to take on University.

United led 2-1 at the break with goals by Elhadi Eldayar and Solomon Lagu, on either side of a goal by University’s Jeremy Goddard.

John Wani increased United’s lead to 3-1 a minute after the resumption, but University then began an amazing comeback in a very exciting game.

George Ivanov’s goal in the 58^th minute made it 3-2 before a strike by Lachlan Brown with 20 minutes to go made it all square at 3-3.

Photo:  A joyous celebration by Univesrity's Lachlan Brown after scoring. [PlessPix] 

Zachary Piesse added a fourth for the Students in the 75^th minute before Ivanov completed his brace with a penalty to make it 5-3 for University.

Photo:  University's Zachary Piesse roars with delight after scoring. [PlessPix] 

It was a fast and furious encounter and United felt the loss of their first-choice keeper before the game even began contributed significantly to their downfall.

In the women’s game between Taroona and Kingborough Lions United, a mistake by the Lions keeper gave Taroona a shock lead in the opening seconds through Daisy Parsell.

It took the Lions keeper a while to settle down and she also gave a free-kick away later after inexplicably picking up the ball outside the penalty area.

Photo:  Taroona celebrate their unexpected opening goal after just mere seconds from kick-off. [PlessPix] 

She redeemed herself later with a fine save when she turned a goal-bound shot onto the crossbar to deny Taroona goal.

Goals by Maeve Dunbabin, Laura Davis and Rosemary Rodden put Kingborough 3-1 up at half-time.

Two goals by Samantha Watkins after the break put Kingborough in the driving seat at 5-1 before Parsell pulled a goal back for Taroona in the 73^rd minute.

Laura Davis completed the scoring with a goal 8 minutes from the end to seal a 6-1 win for the Lions.

Photo:  Taroona's Caitlin Riley with the ball. [PlessPix] 

I ventured to the top of the grandstand at KGV Park for the first time this season to watch the action and get out of the drizzle and I was disgusted at the mess on the seats.

Discarded hot chips and other food items and wrappings littered the top row and provided a real safety hazard.  If someone were to stand on a chip, they would slip and could suffer a serious fall.  I don’t know if the scraps were from that day or from Saturday, but it’s unacceptable.

Photo:  Discarded food scraps near the back of the grandstand at KGV Park. No big deal some might say, but a safety issue for old codgers like me. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  A slip could be the result of this mess. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Unsightly and unhygienic at best in the grandstand at the headquarters of football. [PlessPix

 If the mess had been made on the Sunday, the people responsible should have cleaned it up, while if it had been made on Saturday, it was a health and safety issue and should have been cleaned up.

There’s my gripe for the weekend.  Fortunately, it didn’t detract from the exciting football, but it was an accident waiting to happen, especially for us older folks.

 

Photo:  Kingborough coach Simon Edwards sends on Laura Davis. [PlessPix]

Photo: Laura Davis and Danielle Kannegiesser celebrate a Kingborough goal. [PlessPix]