Second-half comeback gives Warriors victory over Knights

Photo:  The Glenorchy Knights line-up in their first home game since being promoted to the NPL [PlessPix]


(NPL Tasmania, KGV Park, Wednesday, 13 March 2019)

Glenorchy Knights 1 (D Brown 17)

Olympia Warriors 3 (J Scott 43, N Mearns 57, J Leaman 66)

HT:  1-1   Att:  200   Ref:  N Coad

Glenorchy Knights:  Le Rossignol  -  Kupsch (Hardwick 31), Hallard, Young (T Bellini 71), Clay  -  D Brown, A Bellini, James  -  Naden, Heggie (Nowicki 58), Stuart  (Subs not used:  Nester, Marney)

Olympia Warriors:  McDonald  -  Vandermey (Sammut 85), Stevens, Hill, Kurtz  -  Leaman (Mulungula 74), Scott, Ladic, Mearns (Curtis 62)  -  Ryan, Nkoso  (Subs not used:  Curtis, Mulungula, Sammut)

Photo:  The two teams take to the field last night.  Olympia's three imports are Jake Ryan (No.9), Jordan Scott (No.4) and Bay Kurtz (No.13). [PlessPix]

If anyone at Glenorchy Knights thought the NPL would be all beer and skittles, they will be reconsidering after Wednesday night’s game against Olympia Warriors at Grove Road.

Knights started impressively and led 1-0 after 17 minutes, but it was 1-1 at the break.  Olympia then got on top in the second half and scored twice to run out 3-1 winners.

Knights collected five yellow cards  -  Nick Naden, Alex Bellini, George Hallard, Mathew Nowicki and Declan Brown  -  which may make them eligible for a fine from Football Tasmania.

Olympia’s solitary yellow was shown to American import Bay Kurtz, but captain Lucas Hill was fortunate not to be booked after an altercation in the first half with Declan Brown.

The two goalkeepers were in impressive form.  Knights’ Trent Le Rossignol aved brilliantly at the feet of Jonathon Ladic midway through the first half, while Olympia’s custodian, Kyle McDonald, kept his side in the game when 1-0 down by superbly saving from Brown in the 25^th minute.

Photo:  Olympia's Jack Ryan (left) and Knights' George Hallard (No.12) compete for a header [PlessPix]

Olympia’s much vaunted English centre-forward, Jack Ryan, was kept very quite all night by fellow English hard man, Knights’ George Hallard.

Knights took the lead in the 17^th minute when Naden released Brown down the inside-right channel and he fired past McDonald.

Knights suffered a blow on the half-hour when they were forced to make a substitution after right-fullback Jack Kupsch rolled an ankle.  His replacement, also a former Olympia player, was Lachlan Hardwick.

Le Rossignol produced another fine save in the 40^th minute when he just kept out Joffrey Nkoso’s dipping shot, which bounced awkwardly just in front of him and almost on the goal-line.

Photo:  Olympia's Jonathon Ladic about to be tackled by Knights' Sam James [PlessPix]

Jordan Scott’s equaliser in the 43^rd minute was a bit of magic.  Scott gained possession just outside the box following a Knights clearance and he seemed to have squandered the opportunity when he hesitated in shooting through a crowded penalty area.  But, he reassessed in a split second and fired home a deliberate and accurate volley that gave Le Rossignol no chance as he dived desperately to his left.

Nick Nearns put Olympia ahead in the 57^th minute from close range after a static Knights defence failed to react to the danger posed by an Olympia attack through the middle.

Knights coach James Sherman immediately brought on Mathew Nowicki and he posed some physical danger, but Hill soon had his measure as sparks began to fly.

In the 66^th minute, Nkoso went on a long diagonal run from right to left seeking a shooting opportunity that never quite materialised and he eventually passed to Jacob Leaman on the left.  Leaman fired towards goal and the ball took a deflection that beat Le Rossignol at his near post and it was 3-1 for the Warriors.

Both teams had chances after that with Olympia’s Jake Vandermey firing into the side-netting and Knights’ Brown shooting low and centimetres wide of the far left-hand post.

 Photo:  Jack Ryan in an aerial contest with a Knights opponent [PlessPix]

Olympia also had the ball in the net, but off-side was the call.

The win put Olympia on top of the standings with 6 points from 3 outings and level with Devonport City, who beat Launceston City 2-1 away earlier in the evening.

In Wednesday night’s other game at Lightwood Park, Kingborough Lions United thrashed Clarence United 8-0.  Clarence are already bottom and have conceded 17 goals without scoring once.  They are going to cause Football Tasmania some headaches this season.

Photo:  Knights' Alex Bellini in possession in midfield [PlessPix]

Glenorchy Knights coach, James Sherman, said:

“The first 15 minutes of that second half was probably the difference in terms of the result.  They got on top of us and took advantage of it and we were able to solidify the next half-hour, but at this level, against quality opposition, it leaves you with too much work to do.

“On top of that first 35 minutes when we were really at them and creating a handful of chances, you’ve got to take more than one.  We’re the promoted side in the league so it’s going to take probably the first half of the year realistically for us to really get up to a consistent tempo of a quality 90 minutes.  We can’t afford to go in and out of games like we did today.

“I’m very proud [of the boys] because it would have been easy for us to throw the towel in, especially with the changes we were forced to make, but we didn’t and we still looked a threat in the last few minutes.”

Photo: The two teams greet each other before last night's game [PlessPix]

Olympia Warriors coach, Rob Clarke, said:

“I’m not very happy at all.  I’m not happy at all.  We’re much better than that.  If we play like that, we’re not going to win many games.  That was a shocking performance.  Shocking.

“[Our keeper] made a great save [at 1-0 down] and it would have been 2-0, and they would have deserved it, too.

“We’ve done everything possible.  We treat these guys like kings, these fellows.  They get looked after with everything possible to make them play well and today they just weren’t good enough.  If you want to play for Olympia, then you don’t play like that.”

Photo:  Olympia's former Knight, Jonathon Ladic, in possession [PlessPix]

NPL Tasmania (As at 13 March 2019)

TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Olympia Warriors	3	2	0	1	5	3	6
Devonport City	2	2	0	0	3	1	6
Hobart Zebras	2	1	1	0	10	1	4
South Hobart	3	1	1	1	4	4	4
Kingborough Lions	2	1	0	1	9	2	3
Glenorchy Knights	2	1	0	1	6	4	3
Riverside Olympic	1	0	0	1	1	5	0
Launceston City	1	0	0	1	1	2	0
Clarence United	2	0	0	2	0	17	0

Photo:  Olympia captain Lucas Hill and Knights' skipper Declan Brown at the toss [PlessPix]