Saturday, July 4, 2020

Clarence Zebras look to be in trouble

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Adam McKeown in pursuit of the ball as Knights' Connor Schmidt assesses the situation [PlessPix]

(NPL Tasmania pre-season friendly, Wentworth Park, Saturday, 4 July 2020)

Clarence Zebras 1 (L Burt 64)
Glenorchy Knights 3 (C Smith 43, A Walter 68, A Bellini 92)

HT:  0-1   Att:  120   Ref:  B Kopra

Clarence Zebras:  O’Connell;  Burt, Ahn Byungtae, Dillon, Hatcher, Hey, Hills, McKeown, Pace, Smithies-Sharples, Thompson  (Subs:  Snell, Mundy, Josh Jones, Stankovich, A Smith)

Glenorchy Knights:  Hart;  C Smith, Bowman, Muller, Backhouse, Anderson, Young, Naden, Thomas, Schmidt, Walter  (Subs:  J Sherman, H Huigsloot, Lagu, Midson-Laredo, A Bellini)

Photo:  Knights keeper Lachie Hart claws away a Clarence Zebras free-kick [PlessPix]

Clarence Zebras have not had a good pre-season.  They appear to be in trouble after losing 3-1 at home to Glenorchy Knights at Wentworth Park today.

This loss follows last week’s 4-2 loss to South Hobart, also at Wentworth Park.

Coach David Smith is going to have to pull several rabbits out of hats because this squad just isn’t good enough.

Knights could easily have scored more goals, while Clarence Zebras were given few chances.

Clarence Zebras trailed 1-0 at half-time to an excellent goal 2 minutes before the break.  Cade Smith was put away on the right and he drew keeper Nick O’Connell before skilfully lifing the ball over the keeper and into the net.  It was a class finish by the former Clarence player.

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Kane Hatcher goes down under a challenge from Knights' Connor Schmidt [PlessPix]

The task should have become easier for the home side in the 52nd minute when Knights had centre-back Oscar Thomas sent off for a professional foul.

There was some light at the end of the tunnel when Lachie Burt scored an excellent equaliser from the right after being put away by Adam McKeown, but that turned out to be a freight train as Knights regained the lead in the 68th minute through Alex Walter.  Harry Anderson broke clear on the right and his low cross was parried by substitute keeper Josh Jones and into the path of Walter, who knocked the ball home.

Photo:  Knights' Connor Schmidt cuts out a corner [PlessPix]

In injury time, Alex Bellini was given all the time in the world to control the ball just inside the box and his shot flew in off the base of the right-hand post to make it 3-1.

The Knights have had a good pre-season but they shouldn’t be over confident.  Their two wins  -  the other was against Olympia Warriors  -  have, after all, only been practice matches.

Photo:  Knights' Tom Young gets his head to the ball and clears a corner [PlessPix]

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Zebras need to just play the kids this season. Leave out Walsh, Mckowen, Huigsloot and just play all the young kids and get games into them. They can't do any worse than what is there and you might find out a couple can step up. They have lost way to much quality from last season so need to start again

Anonymous said...

Anon 2.05. Coaches job but he does not seem to know what to do,
He has been there long enough now to show some improvement but it is not
happening. That club will wake up one day and wonder what the hell is going on.
They obviously have no idea.

Anonymous said...

Lots of experts on this website. A lot seem to know everything about the Eastern shore clubs.

You all know its only practice games right?

I watched a full strength Knights struggle to put away an under strength CZ. Good hit out for both teams though.

Predict away only one thing will matter in the end and that's whose on top at the end. Now doubts at all that will be Port. The rest of the spots don't matter.

Anonymous said...

Anon. 7.28 .
Maybe the ‘experts’ as you call them have a point.
This club has failed on many fronts for many years . Creation of a new club is not an excuse to hide and offer that as an excuse.
for continued failure. They have now gone from a possible top 4 side , to a side that will continue to struggle as the other club it merged with.
I give it 5 years and it will disappear.
They will become like s as mother NPL club that has a huge catchment area yet fails every year.
Olympia will continue to attract rather than Zebras , and that hurt to say.

Anonymous said...

I reply to anonymous saying a full strength knights struggled to put away and under strength CZ. can I remind him that the knights played with 10 men for over 35 minutes and still scored two more goals.

Anonymous said...

for every one saying that Devonport already have it in the bag, hey why do we bother to play at all eh.... lets just give it away and not bother. you noddy's. glad that you don't play any sport yourselves, obviously quitters with no ambition desire or fortitude.

Anonymous said...

Can i remind you those 2 goals were scrappy at best. Knights have a long season ahead. Money can't buy you everything.

Anonymous said...

"You noddy's"...too funny!

Anonymous said...

Walter just a general question Rhodesy does a great job as yourself on he's site but gets no acknowledgement at all from ,FFT may I ask why because surely he is making a contribution to they game that is worthy of it .

Anonymous said...

CZ had quite a few missing, and they were all starting players. The hit-out for those that played was very useful in providing coachomg staff with an idea as to who might be able to step up when needed. Let's wait until real games start (only a week for Laka Cup games) and slet those reults do the talking- not pre-season training games.

Anonymous said...

Anon 8.37 am. No-one is suggesting Rhodesy does not promote the game and does not provide a great service.
HOWEVER........ put yourself in FT shoes. Would you support any organisation that publicly criticises most things you do and go out of your way to highlight any little thing that you do not agree with?
I am not criticising anyone here , just a comment from what I see and hear.
That may answer your question.

Anonymous said...

So Football Tasmania supports all media sites that don't criticises them how grown up and mature they are !!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

So they AFL,NRL,FFA,ETC all get criticises by the media but, FFT get and exemption seriously get a grip it is great to have someone who is not a media puppet and doesn't have their strings pulled by a federation very refreshing .

Anonymous said...

I don't believe that either Walter or Matthew are having their strings pulled by FFT. So who are you suggesting is having their strings pulled by the federation.?

Anonymous said...

Stop looking for validation MR.

Lenny cross said...

You all forget that the knights were pretty lucky to beat Zebras 3 months ago it could have very easily gone the other way as I remember watching it , would not worry about a couple of shit trial games

jerry kruijver said...

the joy of being anonymous,nobody can trace you to benefit from your expertise.