Devonport City retained their NPL Tasmania crown when they beat the visiting Launceston City 1-0 at Valley Road on Saturday.
The North-West Coast side have now won the past three NPL Tasmania titles and their fourth in five seasons.
Once again, it was 1-0 win, and from a penalty.
People will call them ‘lucky Devonport’, but the manner of a win is unimportant in the grander scheme of things. It’s the 3 points that matter.
Matthew Oh upended Miles Barnard on the left of the box in the 73rd minute and referee Mr Peart had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Raphael Reynolds then did the honours by converting.
Launceston City goalkeeper Lachlan Clark has kept his side in the game in the first half so Devonport deserved ultimately deserved their victory.
Second-placed Glenorchy Knights, who host the newly crowned champions next weekend, made light work of beating Olympia Warriors 3-0 at Warrior Park.
Youngster Harry Anderson hit a hat-trick for the Knights in a superb display of finishing.
His first came in the 13th minute when his looping header from Oscar Thomas’s deep cross from the left sailed over keeper Darby Randall and into the net.
In the 67th minute, a pass by Alex Walter put Anderson away on the right and he fired low past Randall and inside the far left-hand post to make it 2-0.
Anderson completed his hat-trick with another header in the 71st minute following a corner from the left aimed towards the far post by Joffrey N’Koso. Nick Naden headed the corner back across goal, where Thomas nodded it back into the middle for an unmarked Anderson to power it home.
How Olympia must regret allowing N’Koso to leave and join Knights. He teased his opponents relentlessly and would sometimes waltz past three or four Olympia players as he ventured forward.
Olympia hardly posed a threat throughout the 90 minutes. They sometimes buzzed about in attack and showed pace, but there was no finish.
South Hobart demolished Clarence Zebras 5-0 at South Hobart Oval to inflict the worst defeat the new club has experienced.
Coach David Smith had knee surgery during last week and former Hobart Juventus star Sergio Pace was in charge. It was disappointing to see his son appear to refuse to shake hands with his father when he was substituted late in the game.
An own-goal by Simon Stankovich, following Nick Morton’s powerful low cross into the goalmouth from the right in the 6th minute, gave South Hobart the lead.
In the 17th minute, Guilherme de Souza made it 2-0 with a powerful header, while Patrick Kibler netted the third at the far post on the half-hour to make it 3-0 at the break.
Two clinical finishes by Bradley Lakoseljac before an hour was up saw South Hobart with an unassailable 5-0 lead.
Clarence Zebras continued to battle and they struck the woodwork twice, but they were unable to reduce the arrears and were well-beaten in the end.
In Saturday’s remaining match, Kingborough Lions United came unstuck on Launceston when they succumbed 3-0 to Riverside Olympic at Windsor Park.
Goals by Fletcher Fulton and Nils Sanz, together with an own-goal by Jack Martin, did the damage.
The win keeps Riverside second-last and condemned Launceston City to the wooden spoon.
But, Clarence Zebras are now in danger of finishing second-last and next week’s final round of matches will determine whether the two Italian-backed outfits - I don’t know if it’s kosher to call Clarence Zebras an Italian-back outfit now - will prop up the rest of the field.
NPL Tasmania results
Devonport City 1 (R Reynolds 73 pen) beat Launceston City 0
South Hobart 5 (S Stankovich 6 og, G de Souza 17, P Kibler 30, B Lakoseljac 54, 59) beat Clarence Zebras 0
Olympia Warriors 0 lost to Glenorchy Knights 3 (H Anderson 13, 67, 71)
Riverside Olympic 3 (F Fulton 46, N Sanz 64, J Martin 81 og) beat Kingborough Lions United 0
NPL Tasmania Standings (As at 18 October 2020)
|
TEAM |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
Devonport City |
13 |
12 |
1 |
0 |
24 |
8 |
37 |
|
Glenorchy Knights |
13 |
10 |
1 |
2 |
36 |
9 |
31 |
|
South Hobart |
13 |
7 |
1 |
5 |
29 |
23 |
22 |
|
Olympia Warriors |
13 |
6 |
1 |
6 |
30 |
24 |
19 |
|
Kingborough Lions |
13 |
5 |
3 |
5 |
23 |
32 |
18 |
|
Clarence Zebras |
13 |
3 |
2 |
8 |
18 |
32 |
11 |
|
Riverside Olympic |
13 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
16 |
32 |
8 |
|
Launceston City |
13 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
13 |
30 |
4 |
Photo: Clarence Zebras' Sam Hills clears while under pressure from South Hobart's Bradley Lakoseljac [PlessPix]
18 comments:
Just a minor correction Walter, Adam Gorrie, took a full blooded clearance from Joffrey Nkoso to the face. I was no more than 8M away. It obviously knocked him for six. I hope he recovers fully.
Hi Walter, Miles Barnard here. Some people call it lucky. I call it back to back to back. Cheers.
Enjoy watching the Lacka cup finals .... I call that Karma
I wish my club could get some of this Devonport karma.
Laka cup? Are some complete moron? They have just won the league. Not so sure they are concerned about get lucky on the day cup football.
I’d be concerned that they have failed to win the last two Laka Cup finals to be honest especially as they claim to be so dominant
October 19, 2020 at 11:34 AM
4 PREMIERSHIPS AND 2 LAKA CUPS IN LAST FIVE YEARS??
leaves South 1 Premiership and 1 Laka cup and Olympia 1 Laka Cup with 1 Laka Cup to go.
I would be more concerned if I was backing the Italian Clubs in Tassie.
Anon 3.11.
There is only one Italian club and that’s in Launceston.
The penalty given to Devonport was obviously wrong. Matthew clearly kicked the ball. A video review shows it clearly.
October 19, 2020 at 9:01 PM
Matthew also kicked an opponent who was in the penalty area at the time. A video review also shows that clearly.
I love how all you geniuses get on here going on about penalties and frees " I watched it 10 times in slow mo". Your comment " A video review.....".
I will ask this question for the last time. Did you watch it in real time from the referee's view?
This is the only vision I wish I could see THEN and only then could we make an educated comment. Until then its replays and stupid opinions I guess.
Mmmmm. Has happened quite a bit at Devonport's home games. And more often than not - the winning margin. Makes one wonder.
Anon 7:37 AM
I was waiting for you. Just because we don't see it from the referees point of view, doesn't make it a correct call. The Dev pen a couple weeks ago was weak. There was no contact. Maybe the ref is getting themselves in the wrong position if they cant make the correct calls?
Stupid tackle by the City defender ..... but Barnard is clown and should have got a card for over acting ... what a fall from grace scored 30 odd goals last year this year only a couple and has now resorted to throwing himself on the ground ... might be time to retire me thinks
No thats true but anyone thats played the game knows the ref can only pay what he or she sees. Banging on about watching replays etc is just garbage. Now you may also be correct about them being out of position BUT they can only still pay what they see. Maybe you could all turn up next year as ref's and show us how its all done?
Lions slip down ladder as predicted months ago .
1 good thing about this year in the south has been watching some of the young kids really step up and make people take notice that given the opportunity we have some great talent all all clubs ready to blossum in the next few seasons , Most of the Souths boys especially Hallam , larby berezansky etc,and even from Clarence zebras theres Jones , Hatcher ,juju etc , knights have Smith , anderson etc and many more around the clubs so pretty happy with that
Interesting photo of Zebras coach with JMC cap on
when the club is sponsored by Tilford Motors.
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