Photo: South Hobart coach Ken Morton [PlessPix]
The
preliminary round of the Lakoseljac Cup will be conducted on Saturday with one
game in southern Tasmania and one in the north of the State.
Southern
Championship winner in 2019, Hobart United, travel to Sorell to take on home side
South East United at Pembroke Park at 2pm.
In
the other game, Northern Rangers meet Ulverstone at Valley Road 2 at 2pm.
Hobart
United and Northern Rangers are the two likely winners to progress to the
first-round proper of this State-wide knockout cup competition.
Meanwhile,
an NPL Summer Cup double-header is scheduled for KGV Park on Saturday evening.
At
6pm, Glenorchy Knights play South Hobart, while at 8.15pm, Olympia Warriors
meet Clarence Zebras.
Gate
takings will be for the bushfire appeal.
Knights
face a real test against South Hobart, given they have recruited several new
players, including three South Hobart players in Connor Schmidt, Oscar Thomas
and Alex Walter.
Although
it’s early days, a Knights defeat would be unacceptable for their fans, who
have high hopes for the club this season.
South
Hobart have lost most of their players from last season and are in a serious
rebuilding phase.
They
have American imports in goalkeeper Chase Webert and centre-back Patrick Kibler,
but coach Ken Morton is relying on academy youngsters and other youth players
rising to the occasion.
“It’s
not easy to replace eight players,” said Morton. “That’s the hard part.
“But,
the young boys have stepped up and stepped in and done a great job and we’re
really proud of the way they’re going.”
Morton
did not rule out the return to action of experienced centre-back Hugh Ludford
at some stage of the season.
He
also defended the robust play of Declan Foley, who has been criticised in some
quarters for an over-physical and aggressive style of play.
“He’s
a good footballer,” Morton said. He outs
his body on the line and tackles ferociously and I don’t think there’s any
malice in his body whatsoever.
“He’s
a hard player and he’s a strong player and he’s very competitive and we’ll stick
by him.
“He
gives us 100 per cent. He’s courageous
and he hurts himself sometimes in the way he tackles. He may not be a polished defender and the
cleanest of tacklers but he’s robust and he does a good job for us.”
Olympia
Warriors are in the Summer Cup Final after three wins and they look too good
for a Clarence Zebras side that is still finding its feet after the merger.
Olympia may give their new American goalkeeper, Davis Smith, his debut, while Declan and Callum Brown are back from overseas but may not be fit enough yet to earn a place in the side.
Zebras will be without the injured Luke Huigsloot and Jeremy Price. Huigsloot may have broken a rib in the game against South Hobart in midweek, while Price appears to have strained a knee ligament.
Jayden Hey may have a slight nose injury but is likely to play.
*****
Photo: Action from tonight's Metro versus DOSA game at North Chigwell [PlessPix]
In
tonight’s Social Summer Cup at North Chigwell, Metro beat DOSA 4-1 and Beachside
won 2-1 against Phoenix.
Photo: DOSA's Eugene Rosenzweig in possession against Metro [PlessPix]
Photo: A DOSA player comes away with the ball in the game against Metro [PlessPix]
Photo: Knights' Jordan Muller gets a pass away against South Hobart [PlessPix] 
Photo: South East United's Harkirat Singh (right) in pursuit of Hobart United's Nyan Kon [PlessPix]
Photo: Olympia's Lachlan O'Connor tangles with Clarence Zebras' Luke Huigsloot and Clarence Zebras' Jayden Hey comes away with the ball. Hey was concussed late in the game and was replaced. [PlessPix] 
Photo: Knights' Nick Naden tries to elude South Hobart's Ewan Larby [PlessPix]
Photo: Hobart United's Nyan Kon clears the ball [PlessPix] 
