Glenorchy Knights, South Hobart, Olympia Warriors and Launceston City will be chasing the only piece of silverware still on offer this season when they contest the semi-finals of the Lakoseljac Cup this weekend.
Glenorchy Knights host South Hobart at KGV Park at 6.30pm on Saturday in one semi-final, while on Sunday, Olympia Warriors entertain Launceston City at Warrior Park at 2pm.
Both games appear close affairs and it is difficult to pick the two teams that will contest the cup final in a week’s time.
Knights go into this game with a fine record this season against South Hobart, but they will be smarting after last week’s 4-1 loss at KGV Park to NPL Tasmania champions, Devonport City.
Knights have beaten South Hobart 3-1 away this season, while their most recent meeting earlier this month at KGV Park ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
This is a cup game and anything is possible, especially given that both sides should be at full strength.
“Physically, everyone’s pretty good and we haven’t had many injuries this year,” said Knights midfielder Alex Bellini.
“We’ve almost kept the same starting eleven so we’ve been pretty lucky with that.
“I’m personally proud of what we’ve achieved this season, but some of us are disappointed because we did want to win the league.
“Winning the league was an ambition, but it wasn’t always a super realistic one. Personally, I’m proud.”
“We’re all pretty excited about this semi-final as it’s a big opportunity to win a trophy.
“Because we had that loss last week, it might motivate us a bit more. We might have been a bit complacent so hopefully the set-back will do good things for us.
“We’ll see when we get out there, I suppose.
“Against Devonport, I don’t we played terribly and it was a case of fine margins and a few defensive mistakes cost us.
“I don’t think it was a terrible performance.”
Bellini said South Hobart were a side that pressed strongly and the 1-1 draw when they last met could have gone any way.
He said the fact this was a cup semi-final makes it unpredictable.
“It’s 50/50,” Bellini said.
South Hobart coach, Ken Morton, said his team would be highly motivated because there was a strong family connection at the club with this trophy.
He said he would field his strongest side and Andy Brennan would start.
“We’re definitely the underdogs,” Morton said. “They beat us well in the first game but I though we were a bit unfortunate in the return game not to have got more here at KGV.
“We’ll go into the game with confidence as we’ve been playing okay and creating a lot of chances and, if we can put those chances away, we’ll give ourselves a good chance.”
Launceston City’s claim to fame is that they knocked out Devonport City in the first round of the competition this year and then knocked out the reigning Southern Champions, Hobart United in the quarterfinals.
A team is only as good as its last game, however, and City’s last game was 2-0 loss to Clarence Zebras in the league.
Olympia have nothing to crow about either as they lost their last game 3-2 away to Kingborough Lions United in the league.
This semi-final may well be a game that goes to extra-time, therefore, although Olympia’s home-ground advantage should give them a slight edge.
Olympia beat Launceston City 2-1 at Warrior Park and 4-0 away in Launceston, so on that basis, Olympia should be favourites.
But, Launceston City may be regarded as cup specialists this season and they will rely on this reputation to get them through.
A good performance by Rob Gerrard could hold the key to this game.
9 comments:
Isn’t that a contradiction by Kenny he’ll field his strongest side and Brennan will start ..... so in other words he’s going to bench another young kid who actually earned them their third spot this year and reward someone with no interest in the game ... with that approach he might see some more talent leave next year
Sad to see Andy start if Ken wants his best 11. He would struggle to start at any other NPL club on his current form.
All these arm chair experts in the background!
Put your hand I and do better.
And to you The Phoenix. If you are as your name may suggest
from the made up club on the eastern shore, I think you have
a million more issues to worry about than Ken, South and Andy.
Brennan is the best player in the league. Strange that people keep trolling him. If you watch the games he is the most threatening, creates play and keeps possession.
South haven't fielded their strongest side since the likes of Beercroft Hickery Heerey Low Brown etc were going round. 67 on the trot if memory serves me well. Neil
Oh dear we are a little touchy at South this morning , hit a nerve did we ?
Im not so I dont.
No one touchy at South 134pm. You and the other little losers who pop up here and keep flapping away on your keyboards trolling each other can keep deluding yourselves that anyone thinks your opinion is worth anything. Sad to see grown men feel they need to do this to feel good about themselves.
He isn't so I'm pretty sure he doesn't
Post a Comment