Zebras suffer hiccup in title race

Photo:  Launceston City goalkeeper Lachlan Clark had a fine game against Zebras [PlessPix]

Devonport City and South Hobart are looming as NPL Tasmania title favourites after the weekend’s results.

Devonport are top with a perfect record of five wins from five outings.  And, they have conceded just one goal while scoring 18.

Second-placed South Hobart have played a game more and are two points behind the North-West Coast side and they meet at South Hobart Oval next Sunday in what promises to be a showdown worth watching.

It should also be an indicator of where the title may be heading in 2019.

Devonport’s game on Saturday against last-placed Clarence United was a mere formality and they romped to a 9-0 win.

Clarence are rock bottom with zero points and have yet to score.  They have conceded 44 goals in their five outings, which must be demoralising for everyone at the Eastern Shore club.  Not even the legendary showman, P T Barnum, could talk this performance up.

To add to Clarence’s misery, they again had key player Paul Bremner sent off.  He had just returned after a week’s suspension following his dismissal in the 5-0 loss to Glenorchy Knights.

Joel Stone fired Devonport ahead in the 7^th minute and went on to get a brace, while Edward Bidwell made it 2-0 just past the half-hour mark and also bagged a brace.

Jesse Dance, a penalty by Guillermo Lazcano, and strikes by Kynan West, Miles Barnard and Ignacio Giampoli completed the destruction of the Southern visitors.

South Hobart beat Glenorchy Knights 3-0 at Grove Road on Friday night, but it would have been more but for some excellent goalkeeping by Dmitri Nester.

Knights had their chances, but they are definitely missing the injured Callum Brown.

The Knights didn’t help themselves, either, when centre-back George Hallard was sent off when they were 1-0 down, and when his partner at the back, Tyler Harrison, was forced to leave the arena with an ankle injury at 2-0 down.

South Hobart had to work for the win, but they were not in top gear, while Knights learned again that in the top flight a team has to take its chances if it is to get something from games.

Photo:  Launceston City's Noah Mies wins a header against Zebras [PlessPix]

That message rang loud and clear in the ears of Hobart Zebras, whose title hopes suffered a dent when they could only draw 2-2 with second-last Launceston City at Grove Road on Saturday.

Zebras missed a heap of easy chances and led 2-1 with 3 minutes of regulation time remaining, only to be held to a draw when talented youngster Noah Mies grabbed an equaliser in the 6^th minute of stoppage time.

Launceston City’s American import, Greg Roller had given his side the lead in the 20^th minute with a well-executed and simple goal.  A City goal-kick by Lachlan Clark was flicked on by Mies, and Roller ran with defender Jan Charuza before lobbing the ball over the advancing Zebras keeper, Sam Whatman.

An interesting sidenote is that Launceston City identity Kerry Dennis, who was part of City’s support staff on the bench, had coached both goalkeepers as juniors.

Matthew Pace equalised in controversial fashion in the 36^th minute when his header from Riley Dillon’s cross from the left struck the crossbar and bounced down and back into play.  The assistant referee, Monty Piesse, on the far side of the pitch, flagged to indicate the ball had crossed the goal-line before bouncing back into play and referee Charles White awarded the goal.

Zebras’ players, fans and coaches were clearly frustrated as the second half wore on, with a draw seeming ever more likely.

And then, in the 87^th minute, James Ackerley raced down the right and crossed the ball into the middle, where Nicky Edwards hit a superb first-time volley into the net from 15 metres to put Zebras 2-1 ahead.

Zebras’ nerves were settled and it seemed just a case of playing out the remaining minutes.

Their sister Italian-backed club from Launceston had other ideas, however, and in the 6^th minute of stoppage time, the ball was played through to Mies by Jarrod Linger.

The tall youngster from the illustrious Mies clan  -  his father Roger and grandfather Peter were stars of the club in the past and were at the game  -  held off Ryu Yonezawa while running into the left side of the box.  As Charuza approached to snuff out the danger, Mies unleashed a low shot across Whatman and into the far corner of the net to make it 2-2 and break the hearts of the home side and their supporters.

The result means that Zebras have lost ground, but there are still months of football remaining in which to correct things.

Photo:  Noah Mies (left) battles for possession with Zebras' Thomas Little  [PlessPix]

Third-placed Olympia Warriors survived the dismissal of their goalkeeper, Kyle McDonald, to beat the visiting Riverside Olympic 5-0 at Warrior Park.

Joffrey N’Koso hit a hat-trick for the warriors and centre-forward Jack Ryan scored a brace.

NPL Tasmania results:

Devonport City 9 (Stone 7, 73, Bidwell 31, 57, Dance 36, Lazcano 44 pen, West 49, Barnard 66, Giampoli 92) beat Riverside Olympic 0

Olympia Warriors 5 (Ryan 3, 48, N’Koso 7, 41, 87) beat Riverside Olympic 0

Hobart Zebras 2 (Pace 36, Edwards 87) drew with Launceston City 2 (Roller 20, Mies 96)

Photo:  Launceston City's Greg Roller is tackled by Zebrsa' Adam McKeown [PlessPix]

NPL Tasmania standings (As at 30 March 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	5	3	1	1	12	5	10
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	5	0	0	5	0	44	0