Wanderers too good for Golden Gordons

Photo:  University's Christian Arellano (left) is tackled by a Golden Gordon [PlessPix]

(Southern Championship 4, KGV Park, Sunday, 22 September 2019)

University Wanderers 5 (Michael Bowman 8, Ryan Barwin 27, Manuel Hennicke 58, 73, James Burgess 87)

Barnstoneworth Golden Gordons 2 (Robert Shafe 29, 71)

HT:  2-1   Ref:  Nicholas Gunson

University Wanderers:  Adam Dimsey;  Christian Arellano, Ryan Barwein, Michael Bowman, James Burgess, Matthew Burgess, Rui Gao, Manuel Hennicke, Eliot Hoysted, Luis McRae, Hugo Smits  (Interchange:  Mark Astley, Xiaohu Deng, James Johnson, Alex Mummery)

Barnstoneworth Golden Gordons:  Chris Schofield;  Jon Darby, Anthony Dare, Rory Donohue, Jonathan Greenwood, Stephen Jackson, Robert Joyce, Glyn Matthews James McCulloch, Dan Phillips, Robert Shafe  (Interchange:  Adrian Box, David Gunning, Geoff Kent, David Rooney)

Photo:  The University Wanderers squad before Sunday's game [PlessPix]

The last game of the season.  There were about half a dozen spectators.  At least there were goals.

University Wanderers beat Barnstoneworth Golden Gordons 5-2 after leading 2-1 at the break.

Michael Bowman opened the scoring for University in the 8^th minute, his shot from the left deceiving Barnstoneworth’s goalkeeper Chris Schofield and bouncing in off the inside of the far right-hand post.

It was 2-0 in the 27^th minute when a Manuel Hennicke free-kick from the left was met by Ryan Barwin at the far post and he side-footed the ball home from close range.

Photo:  Michael Bowman scores University's opener from Manuel Hennicke's free-kick [PlessPix]

Robert Shafe, the most dangerous Golden Gordon on view, pulled a goal back in the 29^th minute with a powerful shot from wide on the left.

Hennicke, University’s Golden Boot winner at this level, made it 3-1 13 minutes after the resumption.

Centre-back Hugo Smits  -  who played in goal on Thursday night in the game against Metro  -  fouled Shafe in the 71^st minute to concede a penalty, which he converted himself, beating keeper Adam Dimsey with a shot to the custodian’s right and making it just one goal the difference again.

Photo:  Robert Shafe scores with a penalty [PlessPix]

Hennicke then stepped up and completed his brace with University’s fourth goal in the 73^rd minute.

James Burgess completed the scoring for University 3 minutes from the end.

And, the curtain came down on the 2019 season.

Photo:  Hugo Smits brings down Robert Shafe to concede a penalty [PlessPix]

Photo:  Barnstoneworth's Jon Darby in pursuit of the ball [PlessPix]

NPL Finals result

Maitland FC 3 (Matt Thompson 13 pen, 22 pen, Sean Pratt 71) beat Devonport Strikers 2 (Miles Barnard 25, Charles Bidwell 86)

Devonport take on Maitland FC at 1pm today

Devonport City left home at 6am yesterday to fly to New South Wales and their NPL Finals series clash with Northern New South Wales champions Maitland FC.

They left their Newcastle hotel at 6am this morning to travel to Maitland’s Cook’s Square Park, where the game will kick off at 1pm.

Devonport haven’t played for almost three weeks, although some of the players were in action for a Tasmanian NPL select side against A-League outfit Central Coast Mariners on 8 September.

Maitland, on the other hand, have been in action as recently as last weekend when they lost the NNSW grand final to Edgeworth FC.

Devonport have more experience on the national stage than their opponents, having played twice in the NPL finals series and also in the FFA Cup series.

Whether this will give them the edge in today’s game is a moot point.

Devonport are likely to be a little tired from the travel and Maitland should benefit from playing at home.

Both sides should be at full strength and it should be a fiercely contested game.

The winner will take on the victor of the Campbelltown City FC (South Australia) and Lions FC (Queensland) game.

Knights down Phoenix 3-2 and hand Division 2 title to Olympia

Photo:  Referee Alex Tanell watches as the skippers shake hands before the toss of the coin [PlessPix]

(Southern Championship 2, KGV Park, Friday, 20 September 2019)

Glenorchy Knights 3 (A Marney 45, T Sherman 69, T Kadisha 82 pen)

Phoenix Rovers 2 (S Fulton 79, J Griffiths 94 pen)

HT:  1-0   Ref:  A Tatnell

Glenorchy Knights:  Graham;  Goodluck, Kadisha, Mahlangu, Marney, Naden, Roberts, J Sherman, T Sherman, Taiwo, Toghill  (Interchange:  Balaban, Dingjan, Phillips. Sterpin)

Phoenix Rovers:  Porter;  Bird, Chew, Daniels, Griffiths, Hope, Jackson, Lawler, Pitchford, Priest, Wood  (Interchange:  Fulton, B Grainger, M Granger, Louden, Wright-Dawes)

Photo:  Phoenix defend a Knights corner [PlessPix]

Phoenix Rovers needed only a point from this game to take out the Southern Championship 2 title.

They came awfully close against a Glenorchy Knights outfit that fielded two regular NPL starters and three players with limited NPL appearances.

Knights won 3-2, thus handing the title to Olympia Warriors, some of whose players were at the ground watching this game.

The game was delayed several minutes as an electrician had to be summoned to turn on the floodlights.  This was quickly organised by Football Tasmania’s referees’ manager, Tony Peart, who was at the airport for a flight to the Gold Coast for an A-League referees pre-season seminar.  Peart’s flight was delayed by a couple of hours so he quickly drove to KGV Park to ensure that everything was in order.

Photo:  Knights' James Sherman tries to cross the ball [PlessPix]

Phoenix certainly made a game of it.  They almost took an early lead when Knights’ Will Roberts, in trying to clear, smashed the ball against his own crossbar.

Knights created some good chances but Aaron Marney and Nick Naden were off target.

Seconds from the half-time whistle, Marney fired Knights into the lead, but it was a precarious advantage.

Knights had the better of most of the second half, but Mykel Porter was brilliant in the Phoenix goal.

He saved his side on several occasions, including in a one-on-one with Nick Naden.  Naden looked almost certain to score when he tried to lob the ball over Porter, but the keeper’s reaction was like lightning as he got a hand to the ball and saved.

Photo:  Phoenix keeper Mykel Porter makes a save [PlessPix]

Phoenix had Wayne Jackson sent off on the hour-mark for offensive language, which was a huge blow to their chances.  Responding to the taunts of the Knights supporters behind the goal, Jackson made a beeline towards them and jumped the fence to confront them before Phoenix officials ushered him away.

In the 69^th minute, Knights finally got their second goal.  Porter dived and deflected the ball wide of his left-hand post but into the path of Marney, whose shot from an acute angle cannoned into the near upright.  The ball found its way to Tom Sherman 12 metres out and he netted to make it 2-0.

The game was far from over, however, and a speculative lob from Stuart Fulton in the 79^th minute deceived Knights keeper Hugh Graham and landed in the net to make it 2-1.

Photo:  Mr Tatnell shows Matt Grainger a yellow card [PlessPix]

A foul by Matthew Grainger on Innocent Mahlangu 7 minutes from the end resulted in a penalty for Knights.  Teddy Kadisha scored with his spot-kick to give the Knights a 3-1 lead.

Phoenix were awarded a penalty 4 minutes into stoppage time and Jonathon Griffiths converted the spot-kick to make it 3-2, but there was no time to salvage a draw.

In the 96^th minute, Phoenix’s Matthew Grainger was shown a second yellow card and sent off, reducing his side to 9 men, but the battle was lost by then.

A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in memory of the brother of Knights player Elmer Cano, who died in tragic circumstances in his native El Salvador.  Elmer Cano did not play tonight as he was understandably too upset at his loss.

Photo:  Knights' Will Roberts eases the pressure with a clearance [PlessPix]

Photo:  Knights' Mattias Toghill about to tackle a Phoenix opponent [PlessPix]

Photo:  Phoenix;s Jonathon Griffiths tackles the Knights' Innocent Mahlangu [PlessPix]

Photo:  Phoenix's Harry Bird on the attack [PlessPix]

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights observing a minute's silence [PlessPix]

Photo:  Knights keeper Hugh Graham punches clear [PlessPix]

Photo:  Knights' Nick Naden and Phoenix's Jonathan Griffiths in a race for the ball [PlessPix]

Photo:  Phoenix's Jonathan Griffiths passes to team-mate Harry Bird [PlessPix]

Photo:  Innocent Mahlangu shoots as Phoenix's Jonathan Griffiths tries to block [PlessPix]

Photo:  Phoenix Rangers FC [PlessPix]