Today we will see what cup football is all about.
It’s the preliminary round of the Lakoseljac Cup and there are games in the north-west and in the south of Tasmania which pit lower-league sides against some in higher competitions, opening up the possibility of giant-killing feats.
At Cardigan Street in Somerset, the Somerset Sharks welcome southerners Phoenix Rovers to town for a 2.30pm kick-off.
The Sharks must be hot favourites and Phoenix are unlikely to rise from the ashes in this game.
Brighton sees a welcome return of cup football, but I’m afraid this could just be a storm in a tea-cup.
Brighton Storm host Ulverstone at 2.30pm and the visitors from the North-West Coast should come away with the spoils.
The remaining four games are scheduled for KGV Park.
At 11.30am, Southern FC take on the rapidly improving South East United, who won their first Summer Cup game on Saturday and who should make this game a second win in a row.
Nelson, under their new coach George Krambousanos, meet Northern Rangers from Launceston at 2pm and this promises to be a fascinating showdown.
The wily Krambousanos is an experienced coach and former player and it will be interesting to see the tactics he employs against the highly-fancied visitors.
Beachside, who apparently forfeited their Summer Cup fixture on Saturday in preparation for today’s game, meet Metro at 4.30pm.
I cannot see why they bothered as players are always keen to play and to forfeit does no-one credit and, in fact, brings the game into disrepute.
Metro are having a lean season and, with all due respect, if you have to forfeit a game to rest your players for a game against Metro, something is seriously wrong.
My experience tells me that players would rather play than train, so why not play two games in three days? I reckon the Beachside players would have been itching to play on both days.
Beachside have lost their Brazilian midfielder, Walter Sidney Martins Da Silva Filho. He is an engineer and has obtained work in Launceston and will probably be playing for Launceston City this season.
Metro will have Queenslander Indigo Sharp in goal. He is on loan from South Hobart and picked the ball out of the net eight times on Saturday, so he should be at the peak of fitness and agility for the game today.
The final game of the round is at 7pm at KGV Park and sees Barnstoneworth United take on Taroona, who are a league higher up than their opponents.
Taroona’s assistant coach, Nick Di Martino, knows all about State-wide Cup competitions, having been in the winning side in 1983 for Hobart Juventus, who beat Devonport 3-0 in that year’s final.
“After resting many players for Saturday’s Summer Cup game against Metro [Taroona won 8-0], we should be at full strength,” Di Martino said.
“The Lakoseljac Cup is a very prestigious competition and it deserves clubs fielding their strongest team, especially in the early rounds.
“We really want to push ourselves this year to go deep into the competition.
“Barnstoneworth are an unknown quantity so we must be on our game to get a result in the first round.”
Taroona coach Anton Rohner will have done his homework and will expect his side to progress to the first-round proper.
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