Olympia must wait to win the Southern Championship 2 title

Photo:  Lee Mason scored the opener for Olympia tonight [PlessPix]

(Southern Championship 2, KGV Park, Friday, 13 September 2019)

Glenorchy Knights 1 (I Mahlangu 58)

Olympia Warriors 1 (L Mason 47)

HT:  0-1   Ref:  S Fagg

Glenorchy Knights:  Hart;  Dingjan, Goodluck, Griffin, Heggie, Holmes, Kadisha, Mahlangu, Roberts, T Sherman, Taiwo  (Interchange:  Balaban, Cano, Hagino, Sterpin, Fuentes)

Olympia Warriors:  Moschogianis; Bulis, M Casboult, Doherty, Kaproulias, Kunwar, Mason, Meredith, Skalkos, C Tsakiris, Vafakos  (Interchange:  Aboud, Chamali, Mohamad, Pavlides, J Casboult)

Photo:  Innocent Mahlangu netted the equaliser for the Knights [PlessPix]

Olympia Warriors could have won the Southern Championship 2 title by beating Glenorchy Knights at KGV Park tonight, but they drew 1-1 and so must fight another day if they are to clinch the honour.

There were incidents galore in this game, including a send-off for each side, penalty appeals that were turned down, an off-side goal, great saves by the goalkeepers, and injuries and attacks of cramp.

The game also featured prominent names from the past in both line-ups.

Olympia will lodge a protest because they claim Knights fielded two ineligible players who had played NPL last weekend  -  goalkeeper Lachlan Hart and defender Teddy Kadisha.

Photo:  Michael Moschogianis  played superbly in goal for Olympia [PlessPix]

The first half was a tense, close affair with the respective keepers, Lachlan Hart (Knights) and Michael Moschogianis (Olympia) both earning their keep with good saves.

Dipendra Kunwar on the left wing was causing problems for the Knights with his speed and trickery, but his final ball was often astray.

Olympia suffered a set-back in the 16^th minute when youngster Mason Casboult had to be assisted from the field with an ankle injury.  He was taken to hospital by private car.

The first half seemed destined to be goalless, but in the second minute of stoppage time, Kunwar crossed from the left and Knights defender Tobi Taiwo mis-kicked his clearance and the ball fell to Lee Mason, who scored one of the easiest goals of his career from close range.

The second half began in disastrous fashion for the Knights.  Five minutes after the resumption, Hart was sent off when he handled outside the box to stop a dangerous through-ball.  Hart protested his innocence and seemed to have got away with it when Mr Fagg produced a yellow card.  Amid Olympia protests, Mr Fagg realised his error and produced the red card.  Tom Sherman took Hart’s place in goal, but the Knights were a man down.

Photo:  Knights goalkeeper Lachlan Hart takes the long, lonely walk back to the dressing rooms after being sent off [PlessPix]

In the 58^th minute, Innocent Mahlangu was released down the right, but he seemed a couple of metres off-side.  The club linesman kept his flag down and Mahlangu raced on to score the Knights equaliser.

Twelve minutes from the end, Olympia were reduced to 10 men when Patrick Doherty received a second yellow card for a somewhat crude foul on Daniel Goodluck.

Despite both sides having the same number of players again, neither side could break the deadlock and the draw meant Olympia will have to wait if they are to win the title as there are still some games remaining.

Photo:  George Vafakos is only back in Tasmania for a few weeks but played in defence for Olympia tonight [PlessPix] 

Photo:  A busy day of photography today with ships in the morning, aircraft in the afternoon and football in the evening.  Here is the Singapore-flagged LPG tanker EPIC ST. AGNES arriving in Hobart and heading for the Self's Point terminal. The HMAS CANBERRA (L02) is in the background. [PlessPix]

Photo:  One of four RAAF Hawks that landed at Hobart Airport in the afternoon.  They will do a fly-past of the Hobart Cenotaph at 11am on Sunday for the 79th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. [PlessPix]

Photo:  This RAAF Dassault Falcon landed at Hobart Airport late on Friday afternoon [PlessPix]