Knights go to top after win against Zebras

Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League (KGV Park, Friday, 9 April 2010)

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Glenorchy Knights 4 (J Clay 5, J Huigsloot 18, A Koroma 36, 76)

Tilford Zebras 0

HT: 3-0 Att: 150 Ref: I Jozeljic

Glenorchy Knights: Peter - Green, Grundy, Holmes, J Huigsloot - Barabara (Roberts 83), Fielding, Dzelalija, Clay - White (Kamba 91), Koroma [Substitutes not used: Garth, Grainger] [Coach: Eamonn Kelly]

Tilford Zebras: Kaden - Fagg (Cairns 35), Smith, Telega, K Engels - Hall (Crosswell 63), Cox, Self, L Engels (Welch 70) - Walsh, Young [Substitute not used: Voss] [Coach: Romeo Frediani]

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A minute’s silence was observed before the match in memory of the best friend of Knights coach, Eamonn Kelly, who passed away during the week, as well as for the uncle of Knights player Juma Barabara, who also died this week.

The match was delayed by ten minutes as the goalmouth at the Glenorchy end of the ground was repaired. Referee Ivan Jozeljic considered the area dangerous and the sand had to be compacted before he would allow the game to commence.

Knights adopted a very offensive formation which often looked like a 3-4-3, which reverted to a 4-4-2 when they were under pressure.

Jacob Huigsloot and Jade Clay often pushed forward into attacking positions and, indeed, both players scored fine goals.

Barabara’s finishing could again have been better as he had several good chances, while Amadu Koroma produced two classy finishes to net twice.

Josh Fielding had a great game in midfield for the Knights, creating three of the four goals.

Danny White got into some excellent positions but failed to score. His one shot that did find the net was ruled off-side.

Knights’ keeper, Ben Peter, was back to his best and denied Zebras on a couple of occasions with timely saves.

Zebras had some good chances, but the team looked a little lightweight. Ben Crosswell was used as a second-half substitute, which was understandable as he had only returned from Europe this week, but on the whole, the team was outclassed.

Knights got off to a good start when Clay scored in just the 5th minute after Fielding’s pass had put him through in the inside-left channel. Kaden might have been quicker off his line, but Clay’s low shot whistled past him and into the net.

Zebras should have been level in the 14th minute when Matt Hall played Dwayne Walsh through on the left, but the alert Peter came off his line and smothered the shot. The ball fell to Adam Young, whose shot was blocked on the line by Huigsloot. The ball then came to Hall, who was thwarted by a timely intervention by Alex Holmes.

Having survived this relentless Zebras pressure, Knights counter-attacked immediately, but Barabara fired tamely and Zebras were able to clear.

Kaden produced an excellent save from White in the 16th minute after Barabara had set up the chance with a cross from the right.

Knights’ speed and mobility were telling, however, and they increased their lead in the 18th minute when Fielding chipped the ball in from the right and Huigsloot gained possession on the left, cut inside and smashed a superb dipping shot under the bar from the edge of the box to make it 2-0.

A minute later, David Cox was cautioned for a foul on Huigsloot, who was presenting a serious threat to the Zebras whenever he ventured forward.

In the 20th minute, Knights almost grabbed a third goal after they were awarded a free-kick in midfield. Holmes launched a long free-kick towards the far right-hand post where White was first to the ball, but his stinging shot was brilliantly turned over the bar by Kaden for what proved to be a fruitless corner.

In the 23rd minute, Fielding released White down the left and he outwitted Henry Fagg to get to the by-line and cross to the far post, but Barabara’s shot was aimed straight at Kaden.

Two minutes later, Tony Dzelalija put White clear, but his lob sailed over the crossbar.

Peter produced a wonderful save in the 27th minute from Ryan Smith, who had been put in the clear by Young. Smith, a central defender, constantly went forward in this match and might have gained better reward from his efforts than he actually did.

Fagg went down injured in the 28th minute after an aerial challenge with Huigsloot at Zebras’ left-hand post. There was no malice in the incident and Fagg appeared to fall awkwardly. The game was held up for seven minutes as Fagg received attention and he was finally carried off on a stretcher. An ambulance later took him to hospital with his neck in a brace. It was a wise precautionary measure, even though he did not have any tingling or numbness.

Paul Cairns came on as Fagg’s replacement in the 35th minute, but the Knights went further in front within a minute through a brilliant goal by Koroma, who collected a low cross into the penalty area from the left by Fielding, after a throw-in, and back-heeled the ball past Kaden.

Hall shot wide for Zebras in the 39th minute, but that was as close as they came for the remained of the extended first half.

In the 45th minute, the Knights should have added their fourth when Huigsloot put Barabara through the middle. He rounded Kaden but was slow in shooting and eventually stumbled on to get in a shot, but it was cleared by Kurt Engels.

The Knights’ Anthony Grundy was booked on the stroke of half-time.

Eight minutes after the resumption, Kaden again saved a shot from White, who was certainly having no luck on the night.

The Knights’ Dzelalija saw yellow on the hour, while in the 63rd minute, Crosswell was introduced by the Zebras in place of Hall.

In the 66th minute, Peter produced a save from Ricky Self, who then shot wide from the rebound.

Koroma almost scored his second of the evening in the 73rd minute when Kaden could only parry Clay’s shot, but the youngster stabbed the rebound wide from close range.

The next minute, Grundy came to the Knights’ rescue when he did very well to block a shot by Self.

The Knights made it 4-0 in the 76th minute when Barabara put the speedy White away on the right flank and his cross was hammered home by Koroma.

Zebras still had some fight left in them, however, and in the 79th minute, Walsh blazed wildly over the bar after a pass from Self.

Three minutes from the end, Andrew Telega shot straight at Peter, after which the game petered out in a comfortable win for the Knights, which put them on top of the ladder, two points clear of second-placed South Hobart, who are in action at home on Sunday against Taroona.

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· Glenorchy Knights coach, Eamonn Kelly, said:

“It was a great game of football. It was probably the best we’ve played all year. We played football consistently tonight for 90 minutes, as I know we can play.

“We kept the ball on the ground and it was all over at half-time.

“I was pleased we didn’t take the foot off the pedal and kept the consistency going and kept the pressure on.

“We let them back into the game for ten or fifteen minutes through the midfield, but we blocked that and everybody enjoyed it.

“It was a good game to watch.”

· Tilford Zebras coach, Romeo Frediani, said:

“First half, terrible. We allowed them to play. They put their chances away. We didn’t create anything in the first half.

“Second half, better. But still, big gaps at the back. We just didn’t play at all.”

· Tilford Zebras trainer, Sandra Chisholm, said:

“[Henry Fagg has] mild concussion and some neck pain. We’ve just got to wait for results and see what happens.”