(Southern Championship 2, KGV Park, Friday, 20 September 2019)
Glenorchy Knights 3 (A Marney 45, T Sherman 69,
T Kadisha 82 pen)
Phoenix Rovers 2 (S Fulton 79, J Griffiths 94 pen)
HT: 1-0 Ref:
A Tatnell
Glenorchy Knights:
Graham; Goodluck, Kadisha,
Mahlangu, Marney, Naden, Roberts, J Sherman, T Sherman, Taiwo, Toghill (Interchange:
Balaban, Dingjan, Phillips. Sterpin)
Phoenix Rovers:
Porter; Bird, Chew, Daniels,
Griffiths, Hope, Jackson, Lawler, Pitchford, Priest, Wood (Interchange:
Fulton, B Grainger, M Granger, Louden, Wright-Dawes)
Photo: Phoenix defend a Knights corner [PlessPix]
Phoenix Rovers needed only a point from this game to
take out the Southern Championship 2 title.
They came awfully close against a Glenorchy Knights
outfit that fielded two regular NPL starters and three players with limited NPL
appearances.
Knights won 3-2, thus handing the title to Olympia
Warriors, some of whose players were at the ground watching this game.
The game was delayed several minutes as an
electrician had to be summoned to turn on the floodlights. This was quickly organised by Football
Tasmania’s referees’ manager, Tony Peart, who was at the airport for a flight
to the Gold Coast for an A-League referees pre-season seminar. Peart’s flight was delayed by a couple of
hours so he quickly drove to KGV Park to ensure that everything was in order.
Photo: Knights' James Sherman tries to cross the ball [PlessPix]
Phoenix certainly made a game of it. They almost took an early lead when Knights’
Will Roberts, in trying to clear, smashed the ball against his own crossbar.
Knights created some good chances but Aaron Marney
and Nick Naden were off target.
Seconds from the half-time whistle, Marney fired
Knights into the lead, but it was a precarious advantage.
Knights had the better of most of the second half,
but Mykel Porter was brilliant in the Phoenix goal.
He saved his side on several occasions, including in
a one-on-one with Nick Naden. Naden
looked almost certain to score when he tried to lob the ball over Porter, but the
keeper’s reaction was like lightning as he got a hand to the ball and saved.
Photo: Phoenix keeper Mykel Porter makes a save [PlessPix]
Phoenix had Wayne Jackson sent off on the hour-mark
for offensive language, which was a huge blow to their chances. Responding to the taunts of the Knights supporters
behind the goal, Jackson made a beeline towards them and jumped the fence to
confront them before Phoenix officials ushered him away.
In the 69th minute, Knights finally got their
second goal. Porter dived and deflected
the ball wide of his left-hand post but into the path of Marney, whose shot
from an acute angle cannoned into the near upright. The ball found its way to Tom Sherman 12
metres out and he netted to make it 2-0.
The game was far from over, however, and a speculative
lob from Stuart Fulton in the 79th minute deceived Knights keeper
Hugh Graham and landed in the net to make it 2-1.
Photo: Mr Tatnell shows Matt Grainger a yellow card [PlessPix]
A foul by Matthew Grainger on Innocent Mahlangu 7
minutes from the end resulted in a penalty for Knights. Teddy Kadisha scored with his spot-kick to
give the Knights a 3-1 lead.
Phoenix were awarded a penalty 4 minutes into
stoppage time and Jonathon Griffiths converted the spot-kick to make it 3-2, but
there was no time to salvage a draw.
In the 96th minute, Phoenix’s Matthew
Grainger was shown a second yellow card and sent off, reducing his side to 9
men, but the battle was lost by then.
A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in
memory of the brother of Knights player Elmer Cano, who died in tragic
circumstances in his native El Salvador.
Elmer Cano did not play tonight as he was understandably too upset at
his loss.
Photo: Knights' Will Roberts eases the pressure with a clearance [PlessPix]
Photo: Knights' Mattias Toghill about to tackle a Phoenix opponent [PlessPix]
Photo: Phoenix;s Jonathon Griffiths tackles the Knights' Innocent Mahlangu [PlessPix]
Photo: Phoenix's Harry Bird on the attack [PlessPix]
Photo: Glenorchy Knights observing a minute's silence [PlessPix]
Photo: Knights keeper Hugh Graham punches clear [PlessPix]
Photo: Knights' Nick Naden and Phoenix's Jonathan Griffiths in a race for the ball [PlessPix]
Photo: Phoenix's Jonathan Griffiths passes to team-mate Harry Bird [PlessPix]
Photo: Innocent Mahlangu shoots as Phoenix's Jonathan Griffiths tries to block [PlessPix]
Photo: Phoenix Rangers FC [PlessPix]
14 comments:
Typical Knights. Playing NPL in a champ 2 game. Such a disgrace to Tas football this club.
Come on Knights need to win at all cost mentality is why they are so popular, its the rules that allow them to play that must be looked at....
They wont next year as these players will be in Champ1.
Interesting times ahead.
I feel for Hobart united Ripped Off!!
If Uni or United get promoted in 2022 where are they going to find two extra teams. There isn't the player pool around and I fear Champ clubs will fold due to the lack of players.
This can not be sustained as there is not youth to back it up.
well done Knights, Now next year there'll be so many restrictions place on social teams to prevent players being dropped back to play in the odd game , leading to more teams being unable to field teams.
But yet you won't care as you've used the social comps to boost your inflated Ego.
and will now go to play champ 1 with this same team.
Having to drop starting npl players down 4 divisions to play players who play the game for fun is really quite sad state of affairs.
If you continue rubbing people up the wrong way people will start to boycott your games or cheer on every team you play.
Absolutely.
Kadisha: 0 games during the season for Champ 2.
Naden: 0 games during the season for Champ 2.
Toghill: 0 games during the season for Champ 2.
Dingjan: 0 games during the season for Champ 2.
Marney: ONE game during the season for Champ 2.
What do you guys take away from this win? Did it feel good?
How pathetic by Knights. Honestly. Does your club have any respect? Would have thought an NPL head coach (Sherman), would have had some decency to suggest what they were doing was immoral. I understand he played with them during the season, so no issue there, but maybe someone in his role could have intervened.
I feel for Phoenix who proved they were amongst the best 2 teams for the entire year, but lose any chance they had for the title because Knights want to stack their team.
I guess when you spend that much money on players, you will take any win. Plebs.
Yeah 100% any reason to beat Phoenix and them not win the league feels good. Expecially when Phoenix complain every chance ya get. Wouldn’t of needed players if they played us when we were meant to and not go and have their silly Sunday. For that Phoenix can get stuffed. #soreloser
Feel free to message me if you want sook about it!
Daniel Barry Holmes
How come Phoenix complained every time James played, and complain so he couldn’t play in our cup team when he’s a member of our div 2 team.
We haven’t complained all year about all the bull shit thrown our way. So you guys need to start acting your age not ya shoe size
Well Football Tasmania will have to employ someone to check all team sheets next season in regards to NPL to Champ 1 to at least try and stop this from continuing
I reckon that NPL clubs should submit their three squads next year and if they want to drop payers back more that one division they need to apply in writing and with very good reason.
Few points to consider.
1 - this was Glenorchy Knights 3rd game in 7 days. 2 league games to win the title, and 1 cup game.
2 - both Phoenix and Zebras (cup game) had a 3 week break leading into these games due to forfeiting and postponing games to suit their agenda and come in at full strength and fresh. While Knights had people away and unable to play as it was past the expected league end date.
3 - game against Phoenix was meant to have been played Friday 6th September. But Phoenix postponed the game so they could hit the piss at 9am at Wentworth Park. Even at social league this is a disgrace.
4 - Phoenix coach and social league commissioner changed the cup rules the week of the semi final in a bid to stop certain players taking the field, thinking they would meet Knights in the final. Karma bit them on the ass and they lost to Zebras who didn't win a league game all year. This prevented at least 4 regular squad players from playing, all who had played around 15 games for the season. Because the Challenge league started weeks before league 2. Original rules were must not be cup tied, must have played 3 games in the league. Altered rules, can not have taken the field in an NPL game (all to stop James Sherman from playing as he went on for 10 mins off the bench). And not played 3 or more Challenge games. As i stated, Challenge league started 3-4 weeks prior. So let's talk about the corruption there shall we?
Daniel,
I notice you played the majority of Champ 2 games, but were not in the squad for this game? You weren't one of the players dropped to make way for an NPL player were you?
Congrats Olympia for winning the league ! 3 out of 5 previous titles and goal difference, forfeits and last game of season cost the previous two league seasons. Phoenix always tough competition and hard to beat.
Not great by the Knights here but if the rules don't allow it then it doesn't happen,plus this game shouldn't be played late September. Great to see a super competitive league at that level with a lot of quality in it, and as usual superb coverage on football from Walter Pless. Kudos to Tony Peart, not many others would do what he did.
Unfortunately I’d bought tickets to go to the basketball that night a month before. But because we weren’t told told the game being rescheduled until a week before I couldn’t make other plans, other wise I wouldn’t been in the starting 11, 100%
What about the full bench of social players including a certain player i saw wearing the captains armband previously, not good enough to get off the pine for the entire game. Pay your money to play social at knights and sit on the bench, sounds great!
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