Lions handle conditions better than Clarence and win 3-0

Photo:  Three women match officials took charge of an NPL Tasmania game for the first time [PlessPix]

(NPL Tasmania, Lightwood Park, Saturday, 27 April 2019)

Kingborough Lions United 3 (P Kantzos 20, H Gutierrez Jr 71, 91)

Clarence United 0

HT:  1-0   Att:  100   Ref:  L Hargrave

Kingborough Lions United:  Perkinson  -  Douce, Smithies-Sharples, Cuthbertson, Sammut  -  Easton, Downe (Gutierrez Jr 61)s, Steele  -  Brennan, Cowen (Hall 80), Kantzos  (Subs not used:  Muir, Schuth, Zammit)

Clarence United:  Dyson  -  Lange, Demar, Reibel, Ebini  -  Hatcher, Burt, Price -  Moynihan (Kannegiesser 60), Amani (Marsh 80), Randall (Voss 46)  (Subs not used:  Downham, Semelbauer)

Photo:  Kingborough's Chris Downes wins a header [PlessPix]

A little bit of history was made in this match.  It was the first NPL game featuring three female match officials.

Referee Lauren Hargrave is living and working in Canberra at present and during a visit home to Tasmania, she was appointed to take charge of this game.  Her assistants were Claire Green and Emma Hall.

Kingborough should have at least doubled their score and Clarence were let off rather lightly.

Apart from the three goals, the Lions hit the woodwork four times.

Conditions were difficult, with strong winds throughout the game.  Clarence kicked with the wind in the first half but were unable to gain any advantage.  Their only chance came when midfielder Jeremy Price sent an effort just over the bar.

Photo:  Kingborough's Keenan Douce, who had a fine game, races for the ball [PlessPix]

Kingborough took the lead in the 20^th minute when a cross-field build-up from right to left ended with Phil Kantzos shooting low and hard past Matthew Dyson.

A minute later, Danny Cowen hit the post when he connected with Keenan Douce’s corner from the left.

Cowen was unlucky again in the 35^th minute when his shot again came back off the post.

Three minutes before the interval, left-back Joel Sammut ventured forward and ended up smacking a post with a firm shot.

Clarence must have welcomed the half-time interval as they may well have been punch drunk and windblown by that time.

Photo:  Clarence's Ryan Amani all alone up front [PlessPix] 

Photo:  Clarence's Ryan Amani ploughing a lone furrow in attack [PlessPix]

The second half was even worse for the visitors.  They were playing into the strong wind and Ryan Amani was often left alone and isolated as centre-forward.  Sam Randall had been taken off.  He had made little impact on the left wing throughout the first half as play seemed concentrated on the other flank.

Photo:  Clarence's Ryan Amani is beaten by Kingborough's Nick Cuthbertson [PlessPix]

In the 62^nd minute, Kingborough continued their exercise of ‘who can hit the woodwork rather than score’ when Jake Brennan rattled the crossbar.

The introduction of American import Horacio Gutierrez Jr on the hour bore fruit 10 minutes later.  He had missed the past few games through injury, but in the 71^st minute he turned sharply and planted a shot into the net from the edge of the box to make it 2-0 for the Lions.

Clarence had their second chance of the game shortly after when only an instinctive and excellent save at close range by Kingorough’s American import goalkeeper, Kenneth Perkinson, denied Clarence substitute Chris Kannegiesser.  Clarence have only scored once this season and had Kannegiesser scored, it would have been their first goal from open play.

In stoppage time, Gutierrez Jr netted his second goal of the game and Kingborough's third.  He was obviously keen to make up for lost time after being sidelined by injury for several weeks.

Photo:  At the risk of labouring the point, here is Ryan Amani isolated up front again  [PlessPix]

Photo:  Kingborough's Danny Cowen heads over the bar [PlessPix]

Photo:  Kingborough's Jake Brennan (left) and Clarence's Jackson Ebini [PlessPix]

Photo (L-R):  Claire Green, Lauren Hargrave and Emma Hall before the game [PlessPix]