Clarence United won their first match of the 2019 NPL Tasmania season when they beat the visiting Riverside Olympic 1-0 at Wentworth Park on Monday.
A
64th-minute penalty by Lachie Burt was the clincher.
Burt
should have scored in the first half, but his tame side-foot from close range
was cleared off the line.
Cody
Snell also had a couple of good chances for Clarence but was denied by Riverside
Olympic goalkeeper Reef Murfet.
Clarence
remain last on goal-difference but have 3 points, the same as second-last
Riverside.
Photo: Clarence keeper Matthew Dyson tips a shot over the bar. Clarence's former keeper, Jake French, is reported to have joined Metro. [PlessPix]
The
big game of the day was at KGV Park, where fourth-placed Hobart Zebras beat
league-leaders and reigning champions Devonport City 2-1.
Zebras
abandoned their usual style of building up from the back and playing lots of
square passes across the back-line.
They
played more direct football and scored twice in 5 minutes early in the game to
rock Devonport.
Devonport’s
defending at both goals was poor and defenders had a lot to answer for.
Photo: Devonport's Max Fitzgerald stumbles past Zebras' Riley Dillon [PlessPix]
In
the 8th minute, a poor header by Edward Bidwell gave possession to
Zebras’ marauding fullback Riley Dillon, who sent a pass into the box. Reynold’s half-hearted attempt to clear
cannoned off Nicky Edwards and he ran on and beat keeper Nathan Pitchford from
close range.
Four
minutes later, Dillon played another pass forward for Jayden Hey, who flicked
the ball inside. Kieran Mulraney
succeeded only in touching it on to Mathew Sanders, who scored easily as
Reynolds failed to tackle.
Devonport
pulled a goal week in stoppage time at the end of the first half following a
corner from the left. Miles Barnard
headed against the right-hand post and as the ball rebounded, Mulraney fired it
home through a crowded penalty area to make it 2-1 at the break.
Photo: Devonport's Joel Stone eludes Zebras' Jayden Hey [PlessPix]
Devonport
had the better of the second half but were unable to find an equaliser against
a Zebras outfit that was teetering on the brink.
In
stoppage time, Mulraney headed against the crossbar from goalkeeper Pitchford’s
free-kick, while Pitchford also went up at a corner and tried an audacious
bicycle kick which didn’t come off.
The
win put fourth-ranked Zebras level on 16 points with third-placed South Hobart,
while Devonport’s lead at the top has now been cut to just 2 points from
second-placed Olympia Warriors.
In
the remaining game, Kingborough Lions United and Launceston City drew 0-0 at
Lightwood Park.
Photo: Devonport's Joel Stone goes down in the box but no penalty was awarded [PlessPix]
NPL
Tasmania (As at 22 April 2019)
TEAM
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
Devonport City
|
8
|
7
|
0
|
1
|
26
|
3
|
21
|
Olympia
Warriors
|
8
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
26
|
6
|
19
|
South Hobart
|
8
|
5
|
1
|
2
|
30
|
6
|
16
|
Hobart Zebras
|
8
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
30
|
8
|
16
|
Glenorchy Knights
|
8
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
19
|
16
|
11
|
Kingborough Lions
|
8
|
2
|
1
|
5
|
13
|
20
|
7
|
Launceston City
|
8
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
13
|
14
|
6
|
Riverside Olympic
|
8
|
1
|
0
|
7
|
4
|
30
|
3
|
Clarence United
|
8
|
1
|
0
|
7
|
1
|
59
|
3
|
6 comments:
A loss is a loss but 2 trips down to hobart in 3 days with Zebras getting a weeks break probably would have played a part, Dev were a bit stiff to cop that schedule from FFT IMO - fair play to Zebs though they are unbeaten still and if they stay that way they'll be a threat, ANZAC day clash is a huge game.
I don't know how Devonport had conceded only one goal up until Monday as their defence appeared quite porous. Zebras' goals took advantage of slack defending by Devonport. They hardly made an attempt to stop Edwards and Sanders from scoring. They'll ahve to do a lot better when the sides meet in the Lakoseljac Cup quarterfinals.
Comment number 2, refer comment number 1. Dev were clearly fatigued. Who on earth does the scheduling?
Didn't look as sharp as usual. Zebras got them early. Good for the competition.
Both teams that played Friday ie Devonport and riverside were beaten and their opposition had at least a weeks break so you can't read to much into it as I would say there would of been different results in both games if Clarence and Zebras played on Friday.
That's the first time you've seen an absence of someone like a Brayden Mann in that Devonport line-up. They created enough chances to win that game, but Stone, Fitzgerald and Barnard were all too wasteful in the big moments. Zebras good in the opening 15 minutes then poor for the rest of it. Won't win too many games playing like that and were lucky to come out of their with a point, let alone 3
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