Warriors knock Knights out of 'their' cup for third year in a row

Photo:  Knights' Mathias Toghill (left) is challenged by Olympia's Nick Mearns [PlessPix]

(Lakoseljac Cup, Round-of-16, Warrior Park, Friday, 19 April 2019)

Olympia Warriors 1 (N Mearns 53)

Glenorchy Knights 0

HT:  0-0   Att:  247   Ref:  N Coad

Olympia Warriors:  McDonald  -  Vandermey, Hill, Stevens, Leaman,  -  Thompson, Ladic, Scott, Mearns  -  Ryan, N’Koso  (Subs:  Allan, Kurtz, Mulungula, Randall, Wadawu)

Glenorchy Knights:  Hart  -  Toghill, Harrison, Hardwick, Clay  -  James, Griffin, Gutierrez-Chavez, D Brown  -  Naden, Heggie  (Subs:  Kadisha, Le Rossignol, Marney, Stuart, Warrener)

Photo:  Olympia's Warren Wadawu wins the ball from Knights' Diego Gutierrez Chavez [PlessPix]

Yet again the Warriors have eliminated the Knights from the Lakoseljac Cup.  It’s the third year in a row that they have done this.

The Cup is named after a former Knights striker and so it must be particularly galling for them whenever they are knocked out of the tournament.

Olympia won the trophy in 2017 and are keen to repeat that feat.

Photo:  Knights' Jade Clay climbs all over Olympia's Jonathon Ladic at a corner [PlessPix]

Knights have been ravaged by injury and introduced their new Mexican/American midfield signing, Diego Gutierrez Chavez.

He showed some good touches and was unlucky not to score 5 minutes before the break when his free-kick hit the frame of the Olympia goal and rebounded into play with keeper Kyle McDonald beaten.

Knights should probably have had a penalty in the 20th minute when Olympia's Lucas Hill kicked Rowan Heggie in the head.  Dangerous play with contact is a penalty, yet the referee awarded an indirect free-kick inside the box to the Knights.  He may, perhaps, have thought Heggie stopped a bit when going for the ball.

The only goal of the game came 8 minutes after half-time when Nick Mearns attacked down the inside-right channel and fired home inside the near post despite the close presence of Lochlan Hardwick.

Photo:  Knights' import Diego Gutierrez Chavez leaves the pitch at half-time [PlessPix]

One could say that goalkeeper Lachlan Hart was poorly positioned to be beaten at his near post.  Be that as it may, Hart saved his side later in the game when he produced a brilliant diving save to turn Jack Ryan’s header wide when a goal appeared certain.

Knights were well contained by Olympia during the rest of the second half and rarely looked like getting an equaliser.

Olympia’s win was of huge psychological importance and they will now need to turn their minds to the quarterfinals and hope they avoid some of the other big guns.

Photo:  Knights' keeper Lachlan Hart punches clear [PlessPix]

Photo:  Knights' Declan Brown gets away from Olympia's Jonathon Ladic [PlessPix]

Photo:  Knights' Jade Clay heads clear in a crowded penalty area [PlessPix] 

Photo:  Nick Mearns jumps with joy after scoring the winning goal [PlessPix]