Monday, April 22, 2019

First round of NPL Tasmania to be completed today with three postponed matches to be played


Photo:  Devonport coach Rick Coghlan instructs his players during the game against Kingborough on Friday [PlessPix]

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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