Olympia rattle home half a dozen without reply against Clarence

Photo:  Olympia's captain, Lucas Hill, cuts the ball back from the goal-line [PlessPix]

(NPL Tasmania, Wentworth Park, Saturday, 8 June 2019)

Clarence United 0

Olympia Warriors 6 (Mearns 5, 61, N’Koso 14, 83, Ryan 26, 43)

HT:  0-4   Att:  50   Ref:  N Coad

Clarence United:  Dyson;  Burt, Cannamela, Ebii, Hatcher, Lange, Mangar, Moynihan, Price, S Randall, Reibel  (Subs:  Amani, Downham, Houston, Kannegiesser, Thapa)

Olympia Warriors:  D Randall;  Cook, Hill, Kurtz, Ladic, Mearns, Mulungula, N’Koso, Ryan, Scott, Stevens  (Subs:  Curtis, Leaman, Murfitt, Yost)

Photo:  Olympia's Ben Curtis is edged out by Clarence's Jackson Ebini [PlessPix]

Olympia Warriors moved to within 2 points of NPL Tasmania leaders Devonport City with this easy 6-0 win over bottom-side Clarence United.

Clarence were never in the hunt and Olympia goalkeeper Darby Randall had absolutely nothing to do.

It was different for Clarence’s goalkeeper, Matthew Dyson.  He was beaten six times and was constantly under pressure as the visitors controlled possession and attacked repeatedly.

Olympia used long diagonal passes to get behind the Clarence defence and they could easily have scored more than half a dozen.  They hit the woodwork twice, through Jack Ryan and Nick Mearns.

Photo:  Clarence's Jeremy Price watches as the ball carries through to his goalkeeper Matthew Dyson [PlessPix]

Olympia’s Jonathon Mulungula, in only his second game back after a hamstring injury, again tweaked a hamstring and had to go off after just 20 minutes.

Nick Mearns headed Olympia in front in the 5^th minute from Jordan Scott’s corner from the left.

Joffrey N’Koso made it 2-0 in the 14^th minute when he collected a square pass and rifled home from the edge of the box.

Ryan added Olympia’s third in the 26^th minute, firing low and true from the left and inside the far corner of the net.

Photo:  Joffrey N'Koso (out of picture) scores his first goal to make it 2-0 for Olympia [PlessPix]

Ryan completed his brace 2 minutes before the break when he converted a low cross from the right to make it 4-0 at half-time.

The second half began with Mearns rattling the Clarence crossbar.

In the 61^st minute, he had better luck when his curling and dipping shot from the left beat Dyson and hit the underside of the bar before the ball bounced down and over the line for Olympia’s fifth goal.

Photo:  Olympia's Joffrey N'Koso slots home his second and Olympia's sixth goal [PlessPix]

N’Koso slotted home the sixth in the 83^rd minute to complete his brace.

The Warriors could and should have scored more, but Dyson and his fellow defenders stuck to their task grimly and managed to limit the damage to half a dozen goals.

Olympia, together with South Hobart and Hobart Zebras, are now the top-scoring teams in the competition, each having scored 42 goals.

Photo:  Olympia's Jack Ryan shoots for goal while under pressure from Clarence's Chris Kannegiesser [PlessPix]