Western United pleased to be back at their 'home away from home'

Photo:  Western United players in the arrivals area at Hobart Airport today. [PlessPix] 

Western United arrived in Hobart at lunch time today.

Their A-League meeting with Western Sydney Wanderers is at North Hobart Oval tomorrow at 5pm.

Western United, who won the A-League title in 2022 are currently languishing in last place, 4 points adrift of second-last Perth Glory.

They had the weekend off last week and this will be their first game since the 3-3 draw with sixth-placed Macarthur FC.

Western Sydney Wanderers, who won the Asian Champions League title in 2014, the only Australian club to have achieved this honour, are currently third on the A-League standings.

Western United coach, former Australian international John Aloisi, is looking forward to tomorrow’s game.

Last season, Western United beat Sydney FC 1-0 at North Hobart.

This campaign, they have scored only 11 goals in 12 games.

Photo:  John Aloisi, Western United's coach, speaks to the media at Hobart Airport today. [PlessPix] 

“We really enjoyed last time when we were here and we had a good result against Sydney FC,” Aloisi said.

“It was a cracker of a goal right at the end and we deserved the win and we’re hoping that we can continue on with the good performance and a win here because we love coming to Tasmania.

“We’ve been performing well, but the luck hasn’t been going our way.

“The luck will go our way.  We know that.

“We’ve been creating a lot of chances.  We’ve got a lot of young players and they’ll be better for this period of time where things have gone against us.

“We’ve got a few more injuries so more young players come in.

“The performance was really good against Macarthur and the week before against Melbourne City and we’re really looking forward to the same.

‘If we do that, we believe we can win.”

Aloisi said his strikers needed confidence and, once they started to score, that confidence would come and they’d attract the ball like a magnet.

He said he hoped people would come to watch the club’s exciting Brazilian striker, Daniel dos Santos Penha.

He has just returned from an ACL injury and scored two goals in the last game.

Photo:  Western United captain and fullback, Josh Risdon, 31, after the team arrived in Hobart today. [PlessPix] 

Western United captain, defender Josh Risdon, is also looking forward to tomorrow’s clash against one of his former clubs.

“It’s great to be back,” Risdon said.  “Obviously, we came here last year and got a good result and enjoyed the trip.

“We’re looking forward to being back for the next two games and hopefully we can do well in those two games and pick up some points.

“Every time we’ve played in Tassie, be it in Launceston or in Hobart, the fans have come out and shown their support.

“We’ve got a bit of a fan base down here and it does feel like a home game, which is great and it helps a lot.”

Risdon is impressed with the surface at North Hobart and said the old ‘antique’ stands gave it a good feel.

“Results wise, things haven’t been great for us at the moment but there’s still time to turn it around,” Risdon said.

“We’ve been playing well in a lot of games and we just continue to perform consistently and turning these good performances into results, then it’s still pretty close in the league and if you get a good run in the A-League you can climb up the table pretty quickly.\

“I still believe we can do that towards the end of the season and then we’ve just got to make the finals and you can do a lot of damage.

“The stats show we’ve been creating a lot of chances so we just need to keep creating and when it rains it pours so hopefully in one game they’ll all go in for us.

“I feel like we’ve got a performance like that coming.”

Lions down Knights in entertaining pre-season friendly

Photo:  George Ivanoc scores for the Knights after the Lions goalkeeper could only parry Jake Parish's stinging shot. [PlessPix] 

Kingborough Lions United beat Glenorchy Knights 3-2 in an entertaining NPL practice match at KGV Park this evening.

Knights took the lead on the half-hour when Kingborough’s Jake Huisgloot fouled Kiwi import Stefan Cordwell and conceded a penalty.

Tyler Harrison despatched the spot-kick with ease.

Photo:  Kingborough's Alex Brown about to score the equaliser to make it 1-1. [PlessPix] 

Alex Brown equalised for the Lions in the 40^th minute when he raced down the right and, despite being under pressure, scored with a powerful shot.

Noah Mies put the Lions in front a minute after half-time, but George Ivanov bundled the ball home for Knights in the 65^th minute to make it 2-2 after the Lions replacement goalkeeper failed to hold a fierce shot from Jake Parrish.

With 15 minutes remaining, Knight’s Jack Glover, gave away possession in midfield and Kingborough launched a quick counter-attack down the right which ended with Otto Schwarz scoring the winner for the visitors.

Photo:  Knights' Riley Dillon (right) outfoxes the Lions' Keenan Douce. [PlessPix] 

Kobe Kemp sat out the match for the Lions.  He broke his left wrist in a cycling mishap but said he should be okay for the upcoming Summer Cup competition.

Photo:  Kobe Kemp with his left wrist in plaster. [PlessPix] 

Both sides featured new signings.

The Knights had two imports as well as local acquisitions in George Ivanov, Joel Sammut, Josh Jones and Riley Dillon.

Kingborough featured Eli Luttmer, who captained Knights last season.

Photo:  Kingborough's Eli Luttmer has the measure of Knights' George Ivanov. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  Knights' George Ivanov (left) keeps the Lions' Eli Luttmer on his toes. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  Knights' Riley Dillon (right) puts the pressure on Lions' Eli Luttmer. [PlessPix]
 

 

On the sidelines...

Photo:  Helder Dos Santos Silva makes a substitution on Saturday. [PlessPix] 

Riverside Olympic look a much better side than last year, something acknowledged by their coach, Helder Dos Santos Silva.

The Portugues supremo has a wealth of coaching experience behind him, including a stint as youth development coach at EPL club Crystal Palace.

He became head coach of Riverside Olympic last season but the team finished a disappointing second-last in the 8-team NPL Tasmania.

Pre-season this year has been promising and on Saturday, Riverside Olympic downed Southern Championship side South East United 4-0 away at Sorell.

Dos Santos Silva was pleased with the result, especially given that his side were not at full strength.

“It was a really good result for pre-season,” Dos Santos Silva said.

“Obviously it’s going to be a very difficult year because some of these boys haven’t played at NPL level before, but I’m hoping we can have a better NPL team than last year.

“We’re training four times a week, and in the morning as well, but it’ll be a long journey for me and for the boys as well.”

Riverside used new signing Emanual Ponce, a 29-year-old  Chilean striker at centre-forward on Saturday and he scored twice and forced an own-goal with a penetrating run and cross down the right.

He has been playing in Sydney and had joined Riverside on a free transfer.

Photo:  Emanuel Ponce (right) is a good signing for Riverside. [PlessPix] 

Dos Santos Silva said he has many contacts around the world and players are expressing a willingness to come her and help the club out.

“The list of contacts I have and the people I know in the world of football shows I haven’t been doing this for one or two years buy for twenty years,” he said.

He used two young goalkeepers in Saturday’s game but said they wouldn’t be playing NPL this year.

“Daniel Nash, our first-choice, couldn’t make the trip down, while Indigo Sharp was at the game but didn’t play as he recovers from a spider bite."

Photo:  Adam Shackcloth, the new coach of South East United. [PlessPix] 

South East United coach, Adam Shackcloth, who joined the club this season after taking New Town White Eagles to the Southern Championship title last season, was philosophical about the defeat.

“So far so good,” Shackcloth said.  “Our pre-season prey is a great opportunity to play NPL opposition.

“We’re learning a new way with new people and new combinations and the more games we can play now the better.”

Photo:  South East United players warm up before Saturday's game in a most unusual shirt design.  It is the creation of player Rom Moynihan. [PlessPix]

*****

South Hobart coach Ken Morton was an interested observer at Saturday’s game and was taking notes.

He was seen in conversation with Japanese defender Musashi Kokubo, who played in the first half for South Hobart against Bentleigh Greens last week.

Photo:  Ken Morton takes notes during Saturday's game. [PlessPix] 

Morton said Kokubo had former a good partnership in defence with the club’s new signing from Devonport City, Raphael Reynolds.

Morton is keen to sign Kokubo, who has moved to Tasmania from Sydney.

Photo:  Ken Morton and Musashi Kokubo watching Saturday's game. [PlessPix] 

Photo:  Ken Morton having a chat to Indigo Sharp. [PlessPix] 

*****

Glenorchy Knights drew 3-3 with Launceston City on Saturday in a pre-season NPL friendly and one of their goalscorers was George Ivanov.

Ivanov, who is from Bulgaria, was a leading scorer with University in the Southern Championship during the past couple of seasons.

He began his career in Tasmania with Knights and has re-joined them as he is keen to try himself at NPL level.

Photo:  George Ivanov (left) playing for University. [PlessPix]

 

Photo:  Kingborough Lions United coach, Alfred Hess (left) and defender Keenan Douce chatting to Musashi Kokubo.  Hess and Kokubo knew each other in Sydney. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Emanuel Ponce (right) and Riverside team-mates celebrate a goal. [PlessPix]