South Hobart lead NPL Tasmania standings after toppling the champions

Photo:  Referee James Hamilton signals a goal as the scorer Nick Naden wheels away in celebration and the Clarence Zebras defenders work out what happened. [PlessPix] 

South Hobart toppled champions Devonport City 1-0 away at Valley Road on Saturday to end an impressive unbeaten league run by Devonport stretching back to the 2019 season.

The win kept South Hobart on top of the NPL Tasmania standings after two rounds.

A penalty in the 59^th minute by Nick Morton gave the southerners victory.

Kingborough Lions United are second after winning 2-0 away against Launceston City at Buckby Land Rover Park in Prospect, Launceston.

The Lions netted through Andy Taylor and Kobe Kemp to make it two wins from two outings.

Photo:  Riverside skipper Tom Prince takes Olympia's Joel Sammut into custody. [PlessPix] 

Kingborough, who won the Summer Cup, appear to be on course for a promising season.

They had leading scorer Adam McKeown on the bench and Jack Turner did not play, so things can only get even better for the side from Lightwood Park.

The talent-laden Glenorchy Knights won their second match in a row when they overcame bottom-side Clarence Zebras 3-1 at home at KGV Park.

Nick Naden headed two goals from corners  -  the first from the left and the second from the right  -  to power the Knights into the lead just past the half-hour mark.

Matthew Pace pulled a goal back for Clarence Zebras in the 35^th minute with a low shot from the right that hit the base of the far left-hand post and ricocheted into the net.

Knights substitute Alex Bellini sent a powerful half-volley against Clarence Zebras’ right-hand post late in the game, but it took a penalty converted by Eli Luttmer in stoppage time to make the game safe for the Knights.

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights's Alex Bellini (second from right) send a magnificent half-volley on its way to thump the Clarence Zebras' right-hand upright and rebound into play. [PlessPix] 

Second-last Riverside Olympic made a game of it against the youthful Olympia Warriors side away at Warrior Park but eventually succumbed 3-2 to the home team.

Austin Yost put the Warriors in front in the 19^th minute and Kyle Vincent grabbed the second just before the break to give them a 2-0 lead at the interval.

Riverside got back into the game 2 minutes after the resumption through a penalty by William Humphrey after Joseph Mwarabu had tripped Fletcher Fulton.

Photo:  MacKenzie Hancox (second from right) adjusts his head gear after scoring to make it 2-2 at Warrior Park. [PlessPix] 

MacKenzie Hancox put Riverside level in the 75^th minute when he headed home a free-kick, but the speedy Vincent hit the winner 2 minutes later when he outpaced the defence and beat the advancing goalkeeper to complete his brace and make it 3-2 for the Warriors.

Photo:  Riverside coach Alex Gaetani (white shirt) doesn't believe what he is seeing, while Warriors coach, Rob Clarke (white cap), seems satisfied with the state of play. [PlessPix] 

NPL Tasmania (As at 28 March 2021)

TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
South Hobart	2	2	0	0	7	2	6
Kingborough Lions	2	2	0	0	5	1	6
Glenorchy Knights	2	2	0	0	5	2	6
Olympia Warriors	2	1	0	1	4	4	3
Devonport City	2	1	0	1	1	1	3
Launceston City	2	0	0	2	0	3	0
Riverside Olympic	2	0	0	2	3	6	0
Clarence Zebras	2	0	0	2	3	9	0