Olympia thrash Clarence but stay third on standings

Photo:  Olympia's Nick Mearns shields the ball from a Clarence opponent [PlessPix]

(NPL Tasmania, Warrior Park, Wednesday, 3 April 2019)

Olympia Warriors 9 (J Ryan 1, 17, 39, 66, J N’Koso 53, 58, 73, B Allan 78, 88)

Clarence United 0

HT:  3-0   Att: 126   Ref:  J McInerney

Olympia Warriors:  D Randall  -  Leaman, Stevens, Vandermey, Thompson  -  Mearns, Ladic, Scott, Curtis  -  Ryan, N’Koso  (Subs:  Allan, Mulungula, Murfitt, Tsakiris, Wadawu)

Clarence United:  French  -  Kannegiesser, Lange, Voss, S Randall  -  Burt, Cannamela, Hatcher, Price  -  Reibel, Moynihan  (Subs:  Amani, Downham, Dyson, Semelbauer)

Photo:  Olympia's Jonathon Ladic pressured by Clarence's Sam Cannamela [PlessPix]

Jack Ryan put Olympia ahead after only 20 seconds and one couldn’t help but think they would get the 14 goals necessary to put them in second place on the standings.

But, it took Ryan until the 17^th minute to get his second, volleying home Jordan Scott’s corner from the right to make it 2-0.  The 14-goal target seemed too elusive at that stage.

Ryan completed his hat-trick in the 39^th minute, firing home Jake Vandermey’s low cut-back from the right, to make it 3-0 at the interval.

Ryan went on to score four goals in total, his fourth coming midway through the second half with a header from Jonathon Ladic’s cross from the goal-line on the right.

Photo:  Olympia's Jack Ryan heads his fourth goal and Olympia's sixth [PlessPix]

That made it 6-0, Joffrey N’Koso having scored twice after the break.  N’Koso had made it 4-0 in the 53^rd minute with a header following a corner,a nd 5-0 in the 58^th minute with a bullet-like shot.

N’Koso completed his hat-trick in the 73^rd minute with Olympia‘s seventh goal after Nick Mearns had lobbed the ball over the defence for his team-mate to strike.

Goals in the 78^th and 88^th minutes by substitute Braydon Allan completed the 9-0 win, which meant Olympia stayed third on the standings.

Olympia were caught off-side at least a dozen times.  Had they avoided this, they may well have bagged the 14 goals they were seeking.

Clarence were without the suspended Paul Bremner, while Adam Hedge was injured in the warm-up and could not take his place at the heart of the defence.

The absence of these two players may not have changed the score-line.  As it was, Clarence had only two or three half-chances, but a failure to even shoot when presented with these meant that Darby Randall had an untroubled evening in goal as a replacement for the suspended Kyle McDonald.

Photo:  Nick Mearns in possession for Olympia as Clarence's Harrison Lange prepares to challenge [PlessPix]

NPL Tasmania (As at 3 April 2019)

TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Devonport City	5	5	0	0	18	1	15
South Hobart	6	4	1	1	25	5	13
Olympia Warriors	6	4	1	1	21	5	13
Hobart Zebras	5	2	3	0	17	5	9
Glenorchy Knights	6	2	1	3	13	13	7
Kingborough Lions	4	2	0	2	11	6	6
Riverside Olympic	5	1	0	4	4	15	3
Launceston City	5	0	2	3	7	13	2
Clarence United	6	0	0	5	0	53	0

Photo:  Olympia's Nick Mearns challenged by Clarence's Sam Cannamela [PlessPix]

Interview with Clarence coach Warren Burt

Interview with Olympia assistant coach Andrew Tye