Glenorchy Knights could go top of the NPL Tasmania standings on Saturday.
If Knights beat sixth-placed Clarence Zebras away at Wentworth Park at 4.30pm, and if South Hobart draw or lost to Devonport Strikers at 2pm at South Hobart Oval, the Knights would be top.
“Being top of the league hasn’t even come into my calculations,” said Knights coach, James Sherman.
“If this was later in the season, then perhaps, but it’s early days yet.
“But, we’ll relish the challenge.”
Sherman said his squad was ‘healthier’ than three or four weeks ago with players coming back from injury.
New signing from Olympia Warriors, Austin Yost, will be included in the Knights squad, but Sherman said he was unlikely t bring himself on, as he did last weekend against Launceston City.
“It won’t be an easy game and Franco Previdi will have his players motivated as he used to be with the Knights, so I think it will a tough game,” Sherman said.
Clarence Zebras will be without the suspended Michael Pace, who was sent off last weekend.
His replacement could be either 17-year-old Samuel Boscoe, or Alex Smith.
“We’ll have a young bench again, but it’ll just be another game and we’ll try and give the Knights a run for their money,” Previdi said.
“It’ll be good to be at home at Wentworth Park for a change.”
South Hobart beat Devonport Strikers in the league a few weeks ago and then lost to Devonport at South Hobart Oval in the Lakoseljac Cup, so the teams seem evenly matched.
South Hobart coach Ken Morton said Joshua Divin would come into the squad after recovering from injury and proving his fitness in the Championship, but there would be no other changes.
“Devonport have a very strong, organised and direct style and they put on the pressure at set-pieces,” Morton said.
“They’re strong men and good footballers and are very fit and powerful.”
Devonport goalkeeper Nathan Pitchford said everyone was fit and the team should be at full strength.
“We come into this weekend’s game at full-strength and with some good internal competition for spots in our starting 11, which is a great place to be,” Pitchford said.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge of taking on South Hobart away from home and we will need to be wary of their speed in attack and fast ball movement going forwards, which is a strength of theirs.
“If we continue to play the way we have been over the last few weeks, and continue to create good scoring opportunities, I am confident we can come away with a good result.”
Fourth-placed Kingborough Lions United entertain second-last Launceston City at Lightwood Park at 4.30pm on Saturday.
They will be without the suspended defender Ahn Byungatae, who was sent off against Devonport last week. It was his second red card this season.
“We’ve been struggling with players who have the ‘flu and some injuries,” said Kingborough coach Jes Kenth, who has himself been laid low with ‘flu.
“Andy Taylor is only 50/50 and so is Phil Kantzos.
“Ben Hamlett has trained and is a chance to play.
“We have to decide on who will be in goal between Lee Mackie, Sheku Kamara and James Ross.
“Oliver James and Simon Vivarelli will be in the mix, too.
“It’ll be good to play at Lightwood Park again, but City will be no pushover and we have to avoid making the sort of mistakes that have cost us in recent games.”
The remaining game of the round is at Windsor Park in Launceston at 4.30pm when Riverside Olympic host Olympia Warriors.
NPL Tasmania (As at 15 May 2021)
|
TEAM |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
South Hobart |
6 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
19 |
5 |
16 |
|
Glenorchy Knights |
6 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
19 |
6 |
16 |
|
Devonport City |
7 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
8 |
13 |
|
Kingborough Lions |
7 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
12 |
11 |
12 |
|
Olympia Warriors |
6 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
12 |
16 |
7 |
|
Clarence Zebras |
6 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
11 |
16 |
4 |
|
Launceston City |
6 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
4 |
19 |
3 |
|
Riverside Olympic |
6 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
10 |
17 |
1 |
11 comments:
Ch-ching the Knights throw some more $$$ at buying the title.
$ per goal Clarence pay more for Riley
Haaaaaaha ironic and true
Your a fool if you think Knights throw the most money at players by any club in the state.
And why is it so wrong? We are meant to be a semi professional league. Take into account the amount of hours these guys put into games, training, travel, pre game arrival throughout the year and they are lucky to be on $10 an hour. So many great players give the game away once they have a family or a mortgage to pay and work commitments come first, so why not give them incentive to keep playing and make the league the best it can be.
Sponsors put in 10's of thousands of dollars a year, clubs make money from bar sales, rego, merch sales, so why shouldn't this money help pay the top flight team so you can try win a title and appeal to other players to join the club? It's a business these days with a lot of money involved, and if you aren't running it as such and want to have a soon you shouldn't be in the NPL
Anon 9:02. Only a fool would deny what is well known facts but here you are having a crack. If you think one club buying( not building because you don't know how) the bes
t players in a small comp like this is good then your an even bigger idiot than I thought.
Knights will ruin the NPL by greed, just watch.
Anon 9.53am
You are spot on. No other teams are buyng everyone else's better players. Other teams are developing their own. Watch out - next they will be entering a team in the WSL and "approaching" other club's players to fill their team.
All I can say is Come on Devonport - win another one. Show them you don't have to buy players to win. And I am not a Devonport supporter by far.
Well said, destroying the comp and before long they won’t have a comp to play in
Mate they would have to recruit a whole team ,they don't have yhat much money.
Would have to agree. Knights shouldn't be allowed to buy players. It's goes against everything football. You don't see it anywhere else in the world. They should have a good hard look at themselves.
Where is this buying players coming from?
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