The first round of the NPL Tasmania competition will be completed today [Monday] when the games postponed on the opening day of the season because of heat wave conditions are played.
The
most mouth-watering contest will be at KGV Park at 2.30pm when league-leaders
and reigning champions Devonport City take on home-side Hobart Zebras.
This
will be Devonport’s second visit to Hobart in three days over the Easter period
and they may be a little fatigued.
Zebras
have had a week’s break and will be fresh and up for the contest.
Photo: Devonport keeper Nathan Pitchford gets a smack in the mouth from the ball from Chris Downes's free-kick on Friday. Pitchford will be a key player against Zebras, his former club. [PlessPix]
Neither
side was impressive in its previous outing, with Devonport scraping home 2-1
against Kingborough Lions United in Friday’s Lakoseljac Cup Round-of-16 match,
and Zebras being held to a 2-2 draw by Glenorchy Knights in last Sunday’s
league match.
A
win for Devonport will give them a 5-point lead at the top of the standings, while
a victory for the Zebras will move them level on points with third-placed South
Hobart.
Both
sides should be close to full strength and this clash should be a litmus test
of the quality of the NPL Tasmania competition.
It
should provide spectators with a technical, tactical and thrilling brand of
football.
If
it doesn’t, then no-one can complain if supporters vote with their feet in the
future and stay away, preferring to give their computer screens the occasional
glance as games are live-streamed to all and sundry.
Photo: Hobart Zebras coach David Smith watching Devonport in action against Kingborough on Friday [PlessPix]
The
other two games on Monday are at Wentworth Park at 1pm, where Clarence United
host Riverside Olympic, and at Lightwood Park at 2.30pm, where Kingborough
Lions United entertain Launceston City.
Both
these games involve the also-rans in this year’s NPL.
The
Clarence versus Riverside game is a bottom-of-the-table clash and if Clarence
are ever going to win a game, this will have to be it.
If
they do win, they’ll draw level with Riverside on points but remain last
because of their poor goal-difference.
They have conceded 59 goals and have yet to score.
Riverside
will be buoyed psychologically by their 3-0 win over second-tier Nelson in the
Lakoseljac Cup on Saturday and, given Clarence’s abysmal form, this could be
about as difficult a match for the Northerners.
The
Lightwood Park match pits 6th-ranked Kingborough against 7th-placed
Launceston City.
City
lost to second-tier visitors University in the Lakoseljac Cup on Saturday,
which does not augur well for their chances against the Lions.
The
Lions lost to league-leaders Devonport 2-1 in the Cup on Friday, which was a
much more respectable loss, if one could call it that.
This
should be a close encounter and the teams may well have to settle for a draw.
NPL Tasmania (As at 14 April 2019)
TEAM
|
P
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
F
|
A
|
Pts
|
Devonport City
|
7
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
25
|
1
|
21
|
Olympia Warriors
|
8
|
6
|
1
|
1
|
26
|
6
|
19
|
South Hobart
|
8
|
5
|
1
|
2
|
30
|
6
|
16
|
Hobart Zebras
|
7
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
28
|
7
|
13
|
Glenorchy Knights
|
8
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
19
|
16
|
11
|
Kingborough Lions
|
7
|
2
|
0
|
5
|
13
|
20
|
6
|
Launceston City
|
7
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
13
|
14
|
5
|
Riverside Olympic
|
7
|
1
|
0
|
6
|
4
|
29
|
3
|
Clarence United
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
59
|
0
|
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