Only a miracle will cause Devonport to relinquish their NPL Tasmania crown

Photo:  Kingborough's Luke Bighin tackles Olympia's Joseph Mwarabu [PlessPix]

It will need a major upset for Devonport City not to retain their NPL Tasmania league crown.

With almost half of this shortened season gone, Devonport have a 6-point lead over second-placed Glenorchy Knights, whom they beat 1-0 at home at Valley Road yesterday through a goal on the half-hour by Connor Parke.

Devonport keep grinding out wins by the odd goal, but that’s all you need to collect 3 points and win the title.

Yesterday, they again showed dogged determination and purpose to down the Knights, who might easily have won.

Knights’ Alex Bellini hit the post and Joffrey N’Koso showed great dribbling skills, but Devonport keeper Nathan Pitchford rescued his side with at least two outstanding saves.

If you’ve got a brilliant goalkeeper, if luck is on your side, and if you can snatch a goal every game while the opposition cannot put away their chances, you’re well on the way to the title.

That pretty well sums up Devonport City.  You don’t have to play attractive football all the time, but winning each game by a goal or two is good enough to hold off the chasing pack when you’re on top of the standings.

Photo:  The clash of the 15s.  Kingborough's Davis Bryan and Olympia's Declan Brown tumble over the ball. [PlessPix]

Kingborough Lions United and South Hobart are the other wannabes, but I don’t think they’re good enough to overhaul Devonport and Knights.

South Hobart downed Riverside Olympic 2-1 away through goals by Kasper Hallam and Sam Berezansky, two of the brightest young stars in the league, while it was almost inevitable that Nils Sanz would reply for Riverside.

Unfortunately for Aaron Campbell, he celebrated his 150^th NPL game  -  more games than any other player in the competition  -  with a loss.

Kingborough Lions United seemed gone for all money when they trailed 2-0 at half-time away to Olympia Warriors at Warrior Park.

Olympia’s two goals came from twins Declan and Callum Brown within minutes of each other only a quarter of an hour into the game.

Both goals came from the most dangerous pass in the game:  A cut-back from the byeline.

But, the Warriors were to pay for several missed chances in that first half.

Photo:  Olympia's Jack Ryan wins a header as Kingborough's Keenan Douce arrives too late [PlessPix]

Kingborough’s American attacker, Davis Bryan, showed within minutes of the resumption that the Lions were on the prowl when his shot hit the base of a post and rolled across the goalmouth before being cleared.

In the 53^rd minute, Bryan pulled a goal back for the Lions with a finish at the near post and that signalled panic stations for the Warriors.

Their panic was justified when, in the 55^th minute, Adam McKeown outjumped Olympia keeper Darby Randall to head home the equaliser.

Four minutes later, Kingborough earned a penalty when Chris Downes’s attempted cross from the left was handled by an Olympia defender and Mr Coad pointed to the penalty spot.

Randall redeemed himself for his earlier lapse when he beat out Danny Cowen’s spot-kick, but Cowen was alert and rammed home the rebound to complete Kingborough’s amazing comeback to lead 3-2 with half an hour to play.

Photo:  Olympia's Jack Ryan gains possession while watched like a hawk by the Lions' Danny Cowen [PlessPix]

Jack Ryan almost equalised for Olympia in the 64^th minute when he threw himself at Callum Brown’s left-wing cross, but his glancing header went wide.

Ryan was desperately unlucky minutes later when his hooked shot hit the far post and the ball rebounded into goalkeeper Lee Mackie’s arms.

Olympia’s equaliser came out of nothing 2 minutes from the end.  Adam Gorrie’s free kick from way out on the right eluded almost everyone and then took a couple of deflections before nestling into the far left-hand corner of the net to make it 3-3.

The defences of both teams were poor and they will need to rectify that if they are to finish in the top-four.

Bottom-side Launceston City earned their first point of the season when they held visitors Clarence Zebras to a 2-2 draw at Buckby Land Rover Park.

Jayden Hey gave the visitors the lead after 17 minutes before James Hawes equalised 3 minutes later.

Substitute Samson Juju restored Clarence Zebras’ lead with 12 minutes of the game remaining with his first goal since joining from South Hobart three weeks ago, but a late strike by Matthew Oh gave Launceston City their first point of the campaign.

The two Italian-backed clubs occupy the bottom-two places, which is a most unusual look in Tasmanian football.

Photo:  Olympia's Nick Mearns starts a counter-attack [PlessPix]

NPL Tasmania

Devonport City 1 (C Parke 30) beat Glenorchy Knights 0

Riverside Olympic 1 (N Sanz 52) lost to South Hobart 2 (K Hallam 12, S Berezansky 52)

Olympia Warriors 3 (D Brown 13, C Brown 16, A Gorrie 84) drew with Kingborough Lions United 3 (B Davis 54, A McKeown 55, D Cowen 59)

Launceston City 2 (J Hawes 20, M Oh 83) drew with Clarence Zebras 2 (J Hey 17, S Juju 78)

NPL Tasmania Standings (As at 22 August 2020)

TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Devonport City	6	6	0	0	10	3	18
Glenorchy Knights	6	4	0	2	13	7	12
South Hobart	6	4	0	2	12	7	12
Kingborough Lions	6	3	2	1	12	12	11
Olympia Warriors	6	2	1	3	13	12	7
Riverside Olympic	6	1	1	4	8	15	4
Clarence Zebras	6	1	1	4	6	12	4
Launceston City	6	0	1	5	7	13	1