Sunday, June 30, 2019

South Hobart effectively out of NPL title race after loss to leaders Devonport


Photo:  Kingborough's Jack Turner tries to elude Knights' Sam James [PlessPix]

NPL Tasmania leaders Devonport city maintained their 5-point lead at the top of the standings when they brushed aside third-placed South Hobart 4-1 at home at Valley Road in wet and muddy conditions on Saturday.

Jack Dance put Devonport ahead in the 25th minute, but Ben Hamlett equalised for the visitors 3 minutes later.

Miles Barnard then stepped up once again as Devonport’s talisman, netting a hat-trick in the second half in the space of 14 minutes.

In the 59th minute, Barnard was let unmarked inside the box and he brilliantly placed a header from Max Fitzgerald’s cross inside the far left-hand post to make it 2-1 for Devonport.

Three minutes later, he again nodded a cross home, while in the 73rd minute he smashed home the loose ball from inside the 6-yard box to complete the North-West Coast side’s 4-1 victory.

The result effectively puts South Hobart out of the title race as they now trail Devonport by 11 points.

Second-placed Olympia Warriors stayed 5 points adrift of Devonport after a 3-0 away win over 11th-placed Launceston City at Buckby Land Rover Park in Prospect.

Bay Kurtz gave Olympia the lead after just 10 minutes, while Joffrey N’Koso grabbed a brace in the second half to ensure the visitors of 3 important points.

Photo:  Knights' Declan Brown beats Kingborough's Nick Zammit to a header [PlessPix]

Kingborough Lions United continued their resurgence under a new coaching regime with a 4-1 away win over Glenorchy Knights at KGV Park.

Lions coach Jez Kenth was not at the game and Gary Upton and Cam Ellis were in charge and got the result they were hoping for to lift the Lions above the Knights and into fifth place on the ladder.

Knights made the perfect start when Callum Brown put them ahead in the 2nd minute, but it was a false dawn.

Kingborough’s American import, Horacio Gutierrez Jr fired them level in the 20th minute and it was 1-1 at the break.

Photo:  Knights' Declan Brown does it again to Zammit [PlessPix]

Kingborough’s Jack Turner put them ahead on the hour before stoppage-time goals by Gutierrez and Turner gave them a 4-1 win.

Fourth-ranked Hobart Zebras take on second-last Riverside Olympic at KGV Park at 2.15pm today [Sunday].

Zebras may be somewhat undermanned with doubts over Luke Huigsloot, Nicky Edwards, Henry Fagg and Jayden Hey, but they should be too good for the Northern visitors regardless.

Zebras coach David Smith is likely to give some youngsters the chance to impress.

A win is important for the Zebras as they now have the Lions breathing down their necks.

Photo:  Kingborough's Nick Zammit finally gets the better of Knights' Declan Brown in the air [PlessPix]

NPL Tasmania

Devonport City 4 (Jack Dance 25, M Barnard 59, 62, 73) beat South Hobart 1 (B Hamlett 28)

Launceston City 0 lost to Olympia Warriors 3 (B Kurtz 10, J N’Koso 64, 73)

Glenorchy Knights 1 (C Brown 2) lost to Kingborough Lions United 4 (H Gutierrez Jr 20, 90+4, J Turner 61, 90+5)

NPL Tasmania (As at 29 June 2019)

TEAM
P
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
Devonport City
15
13
1
1
58
12
40
Olympia Warriors
15
11
2
2
50
14
35
South Hobart
14
9
2
3
51
20
29
Hobart Zebras
14
6
5
3
46
29
23
Kingborough Lions
15
6
1
8
27
33
19
Glenorchy Knights
15
5
2
8
37
33
17
Launceston City
14
4
3
7
22
26
15
Riverside Olympic
13
2
0
11
11
43
6
Clarence United
15
1
0
14
4
105
3

Photo:  Kingborough's James Hall being lined up by Knights' Mathias Toghill [PlessPix]

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

And then there was 2 left.