Olympia trounce Clarence amid little jubilation

Photo:  Olympia keeper Darby Randall stops Clarence's Romolo Moynihan in his tracks [PlessPix]

(NPL Tasmania, Warrior Park, Saturday, 10 August 2019)

Olympia Warriors 7 (J Ladic 4, J Ryan 6, 45, 47, J N’Koso 37, 90, J Vandermey 70)

Clarence United 1 (S Randall 1)

HT:  4-1   Att:  70   Ref:  M Piesse

Olympia Warriors:  D Randall  -  Thompson, Kurtz, Stevens, Vandermey  -  Ladic, Hill, Mearns  -  N’Koso, Ryan, Cook  (Subs:  Ait Mamaar, Hills, McDonald, Yost, Mulungula)

Clarence United:  Downham  -  Lange, Hedge, Amani, Ebini  -  Cannamela, Burt, Price, S Randall  -  Hatcher, Moynihan  (Subs:  Fletcher, Kannegiesser, Voss, Hall)

Photo:  Clarence's Romolo Moynihan with Olympia's Jake Vandermey in hot pursuit [PlessPix]

Olympia Warriors were stunned when Clarence United’s Sam Randall fired past his brother, Darby Randall, the Olympia goalkeeper, from range in just 50 seconds of this Eastern Shore derby at Warrior Park.

The visitors’ lead was short-lived, Jonathon Ladic equalising in the 4^th minute.

It was down to normal business after that as the second-placed NPL Tasmania outfit piled on six more goals to complete an emphatic 7-1 win to stay 6 points adrift of league-leaders Devonport City, who had over come the visiting Glenorchy Knights 3-1 at Valley Road earlier that afternoon.

Olympia were coached by Andy Tye in this match.  Senior coach Rob Clarke was on holiday in Thailand, while club president George Mamacas also missed the game as he is in Las Vegas until the end of the month.

Olympia’s appeal against the loss of 3 points for playing an ineligible player in the 3-1 win over South Hobart will be heard at roughly the time Mamacas is due back.

If they lose the 3 points, they’ll be 9 points behind Devonport, who also have a game in hand, which, if they win, could make the gap 12 points.

Photo:  Clarence trainer Bob Nicholson comes out to tend to the injured Lachlan Burt.  Nicholson scored four goals on Friday night as Clarence's Division 5 team beat Metro 7-2. [PlessPix]

Jack Ryan gave Olympia the lead in the 6^th minute with the first of his hat-trick.  Gaining possession on the left, he deftly fired home inside the far right-hand post.  The ball had little pace but was perfectly directed and Clarence keeper Nicholas Downham was helpless.

Olympia lost captain and midfielder Lucas Hill after just a quarter of an hour.  He appeared to strain a quadricep and had to be replaced by Austin Yost.

Photo:  Lucas Hill is obviously troubled by his right quadricep [PlessPix]

Photo:  Lucas Hill succumbs to the injury and comes off.  Olympia have a bye next week so he has two weeks to get fit. [PlessPix]

Olympia were without suspended midfielder dynamo Jordan Scott, but he absence as barely noticed as Olympia ramped up the tempo.

Joffrey N’Koso and Ryan completed the first-half scoring to give the home side a comfortable 4-1 advantage at the break.

Ryan completed his hat-trick within 2 minutes of the resumption, turning sharply inside the box before rifling his shot home to make it 5-1.

Jake Vandermey, who had assumed the captaincy when Hill went off, netted Olympia’s sixth goal in the 70^th minute after attacking down the left.

N’Koso grabbed his brace in the final minute when Downham got a fingertip to Ryan’s powerful shot and turned the ball against the crossbar, only to see it rebound to the feet of N’Koso, who tapped it home.

Photo:  Clarence's Lachlan Burt tries to keep pace with Olympia's Jonathon Ladic and avoid referee Monty Piesse [PlessPix]