Olympia make shaky start against Zebras before salvaging a 3-3 draw

Photo:  Zebras' Jayden Hey (left) clears from Olympia's Paul Stevens [PlessPix]

Hobart Zebras and Olympia Warriors drew 3-3 in a pre-season friendly at KGV Park tonight.

Zebras raced to a 3-0 lead within the opening 12 minutes and it seemed as if they would demolish the Warriors, but a brilliant goal by Jack Ryan put Olympia back in the hunt.

In the 6^th minute, Lachie Burt finished off a clinical Zebras attack down the right to put his side ahead from close range.

In the 10^th minute, Matthew Pace showed speed and good finishing to make it 2-0 and really put Olympia on the back foot.

Photo:  Zebras' Jordan Muller rides a tackle [PlessPix]

Things got worse for Olympia in the 12^th minute when the speedy Pace attacked down the left and scored with a low drive that hit the base of the far right-hand post and rebounded into the opposite corner of the net.

Pace might have had a hat-trick when he gained possession 20 metres out, but with Olympia keeper Kyle McDonald way off his line, Pace chose not to chip and squandered the chance when he tried to advance on goal but was off target with his shot.

Photo:  Olympia's Jack Ryan (right) tightly marked by Zebras' Jan Charuza [PlessPix]

Olympia pulled a goal back in the 38^th minute.  A magnificent pass out of midfield by English import Jordan Scott found his fellow import Jack Ryan, who chipped a wonderful goal to make it 3-1.

Ryan is going to be an important player for Olympia.  Last Saturday, he netted all four goals as Olympia beat South Hobart 4-2.

Olympia had goalkeeper McDonald sent off just before the interval after he handled the ball outside the box to halt a Zebras attack.

Photo:  Olympia keeper Kyle McDonald takes off his short after being sent off [PlessPix]

Zebras coach, David Smith, appealed to referee Tony Peart to allow Olympia a replacement keeper so that they wouldn’t be reduced to 10 men and the official agreed, given that it was only a friendly.

Veteran keeper Michael Moschogianis, who was on the bench, came on and produced several important saves in the second half to restore his team’s morale and enable them to work their way back into the game.

The second half saw Olympia have more of the play and their perseverance told as they fought back to draw 3-3 with almost the last kick of the game.

Photo:  Zebras keeper Sam Whatman about to foil Olympia's Jack Ryan [PlessPix]

Fifteen minutes from the end, the excellent Joffrey N’Koso made it 3-2 when he drilled a low shot from the right into the net.

In the final minute, Jonathan Mulungula grabbed the equaliser to salvage some pride for the Warriors, who had looked very lost after the first half an hour.

Neither side was at full strength, with Zebras missing Luke Huigsloot, Mathew Sanders and Luke Bighin, while Olympia were without new signing Jonathon Ladic as well as Nick Mearns, Warren Wadawu and Lucas Hill.

In another pre-season friendly played tonight, Metro downed University 9-1.

Photo:  Zebras coach David Smith (right) with his thinking cap on [PlessPix]