Ten things we learned in the past week

Photo:  Joel Stone (left) won the penalty for Devonport against Riverside Olympic on the weekend [PlessPix]

1.  Devonport City are having their fair share of luck as they strive to retain their NPL Tasmania crown.

Devonport City won 1-0 again on Saturday to maintain their 4-point lead at the top of the NPL Tasmania standings with just 5 matches remaining.

The North-West Coast outfit earned a late penalty, converted by Raphael Reynolds, to collect the 3 points.

Was it a penalty, though?

I have watched the video and Joel Stone did appear to go down easily in the heavy conditions and Riverside Olympic, who are second-last and 20 points adrift of Devonport, were understandably aggrieved at the penalty decision.

It’s hard to tell on the video whether Stone was clipped by Liam Gilmore and whether he went down too easily or perhaps slipped.

I guess we must trust that referee Nathan Coad made the right decision and that Devonport fell over the line yet again.

2.  Glenorchy Knights are going to have to depend on another team if they are to catch Devonport City and pip them for the title.

Glenorchy Knights can win all their remaining games, but they still have to beat Devonport at home at KGV Park and then hope someone else takes a point or two off Devonport if they are to win the league.

Knights demolished Kingborough Lions United 7-0 on Saturday and they have a much better goal-difference than Devonport, but they must rely on another team to help them out.

Photo:  Knights' Joffrey N'Koso (left) in action against Kingborough's Kenneth Trac [PlessPix]

Devonport’s five remaining games are against Kingborough Lions United (home), Olympia Warriors (away), Clarence Zebras (home), Launceston City (home) and Glenorchy Knights (away).

Glenorchy Knights are away to Launceston City and Olympia Warriors, at home against South Hobart, Riverside Olympic and Devonport City.

These fixtures are all difficult to predict so it promises to be a thrilling climax to the season.

As I have often said in the past, one of the things that makes football so appealing is its sheer unpredictability.

I would not want to bet on whether Devonport City or Glenorchy Knights win the title.

3.  What has happened to Devonport City striker Miles Barnard?

Is the so-called ‘Fox in the box’ injured, or does he have his knickers in a knot after being left on the bench in the 4-1 away win over South Hobart on 12 September.

Photo:  Miles Barnard (left) has 'disappeared' [PlessPix]

The team did very well without him in that game so they may well have decided that he is only a bit player in the run-in to the end of the season.

I haven’t had much luck getting any information from Devonport as their coach refuses to take my calls when I’m doing my previews and so I’ve given up trying.

Barnard was crossed off the team sheet for Saturday’s game against Riverside Olympic.

I don’t know whether that’s significant or not.

4.  Olympia Warriors president George Mamacas was made to eat his words after the game against Clarence Zebras.

The Olympia president stirred the pot at a media conference on the eve of the Eastern Shore derby.

George hinted that Olympia’s game against the new club formed by a merger between Clarence United and Hobart Zebras was not quite what the old derbies between Olympia and Zebras were.

As it turned out, Clarence Zebras won 2-1 to make it two wins from two meetings this season and some observers would say that George ended up with egg on his face.

To be fair, George was very respectful of Clarence Zebras when he welcomed them to Warrior Park and announced the teams on the PA system before the game.

Photo:  George Mamacas at the mike before Saturday's derby [PlessPix]

He was seen having a drink with Clarence Zebras co-president Nick Di Giovanni during the second half of the game and they did shake hands after the final whistle.

I am told the Clarence Zebras players did not attend the post-match meal because they left to celebrate the birthday of one of their players, but apparently club officials did attend some sort of gathering.

5.  The signing of South Hobart’s Alex Walter by Glenorchy Knights is proving to be a master stroke.

Walter hit a hat-trick against Kingborough Lions United to take his season’s tally to 9 goals in 9 games.

That’s a pretty good record and Walter is doing everything the club hoped he would do.

His pace is proving too much for many opponents and his confidence must be at an all-time high.

Photo:  Alex Walter (second from right) is congratulated by team-mates after netting a hat-trick last Saturday against Kingborough [PlessPix]

He absolutely left Kingborough’s Davis Bryan in his wake with his speed in scoring the opening goal on Saturday and he is proving too hot to handle for many teams.

If Walter can avoid the injuries that have plagued him in recent times, he’ll go close to winning the individual goal-scoring award this year.

6.  Referee Stratos Plomaritis was in charge for his 50^th NPL Tasmania game last weekend (Olympia Warriors v Clarence Zebras).

The referees’ body acknowledged the milestone by presenting Stratos with a framed photograph of him leading two teams onto the pitch before an NPL Tasmania game.

Photo:  Referee Stratos Plomaritis (second from left) about to officiate at his 50th NPL game last Saturday [PlessPix]

7.  The red card issued to Kingborough’s American import, Davis Bryan, was the 100^th red card in the NPL Tasmania competition.

It was also Bryan’s second dismissal this season, which will result in a suspension of more than just one week.

Photo:  It's a red card for Kingborough's Davis Bryan [PlessPix]

8.  Guilford Young College beat St Patrick’s College 6-0 on Wednesday in the State final of the Independent Schools’ (SATIS) State football final.

The northerners were no match for the southerners in what was a skilful and entertaining encounter played at Guilford Young College in Glenorchy.

Photo:  Guilford Young and Olympia's Austin Yost in possession [PlessPix]

Olympia’s Austin Yost was probably the man-of-the-match and he scored one of Guilford Young’s goals.

The Guilford Young squad was:  M Collins, S Cummins, K Moschogianis, A Murfitt, A Yost (Olympia Warriors), S Berezansky, S Cornelius, T Evans, T Walpole (South Hobart), G Govinda, H Huigsloot, F Lagu (Glenorchy Knights), J Jones, S Juju (Clarence Zebras), T Butler (New Town White Eagles), C Ellis (Kingborough Lions United), Z Gow-Webb (Nelson Eastern Suburbs).

The St Patrick’s College squad was:  H Davis, W Ferrell, F Fulton, W Milner, M Reissig, T Simeoni, F Young (Riverside Olympic), B Apted, R Beckett, A Bevis, L Norton (Northern Rangers), R Barr, R Fellows, M Gardner, S Tantari, A Vogelaar (Launceston City), J Hawkins (Launceston United), B Fulton.

Watching this game, I wondered why there are no regional representative games at youth or senior level these days.

I think such games would be real drawcards for fans and lead to healthy rivalry between the South, North and North-West, as once existed half a century or more ago.

Photo:  St Patrick's on the attack [PlessPix]

Incidentally, only three players  -  Sam Berezansky, Josh Jones and Toby Butler  -  are regulars in their clubs’ senior sides, but many of the others get senior games at times and are knocking on the door of regular playing time at senior level.

9.  Olympia Warriors Women’s Super League side will have to do without key defender Maddie Black for a while.

Maddie has a broken toe and will be out of action for a time.

Photo:  Maddie Black shoots for goal against Beachside [PlessPix]

There are five rounds remaining and Olympia will be hoping she can resume soon.

Maddie has scored two goals despite being a central defender, so her contribution to the team’s success has been valuable.

10.  Football Tasmania got the attention of Tasmania’s parliamentarians this week with a promotional event on the Parliament House lawns.

The event was designed to impress on parliamentarians that football was a popular sport in Tasmania with the largest participation rate and that it deserved a fair and increased level of funding.

It was also an opportunity to demonstrate to parliamentarians that it was important to build a rectangular stadium in Tasmania if the State is to host any games in the Women’s World Cup in 2023.

The continuing fight to have a Tasmanian A-League side in the national competition was also highlighted.

Let’s see what happens.

I note, however, that not a sod of earth has been turned yet at North Chigwell, where a $12 million grant was awarded last year for development of the facility.