Glenorchy Knights’ 1-0 win over Devonport Strikers at KGV Park yesterday means the NPL Tasmania title will be decided in next Saturday’s final round of matches, which all kick-off at the same time in the south of the State.
It’ll be a case of quick mental arithmetic as the afternoon wears on to see who will lift the trophy.
Devonport are ahead on goal-difference (+40) as they are level on 47 points with second-placed Glenorchy Knights, whose goal-difference is +35.
If both sides win next Saturday, it will come down to the actual score-lines and goal-difference.
Devonport are away to Kingborough Lions, who beat them 2-0 earlier in the season, while the Knights host Launceston City.
If one side loses or draws and the other wins, the winner will be the champion.
Football Tasmania is in a bit of a quandary.
They will want to present the title winner with the trophy immediately after the match, but should they have the trophy ready at Lightwood Park or at KGV Park?
Should they have a replica ready so there is a trophy at both venues?
Who will present it? After all, there is only one president (Bob Gordon) and one CEO (Matt Bulkeley).
Should they hire a helicopter to whisk the presenting official and trophy to the appropriate venue?
I jest, of course, but I’m glad they have to work out a plan and not me.
And now, back to how this situation all developed.
Knights finally managed to overcome Devonport and they fully deserved their win.
Their centre-backs, Tyler Harrison and Eli Luttmer, were sound in defence and fullback Jack Bowman and Connor Schmidt were able to play as wing-backs and apply pressure on Devonport down the flanks.
Devonport had no answers to counter this and their only genuine chance came in the first half when Jordan Lamb forced Knights keeper Lachlan Hart to turn his fierce shot over the bar.
In the second half, Knights’ Schmidt unleashed a pile-driver from just outside the box to bring out a magnificent save from Devonport keeper Nathan Pitchford.
Schmidt broke through on another occasion and, despite having two team-mates free on the left, chose to shoot harmlessly over the bar.
The only goal of the game came in the 57th minute when Nick Mearns reacted quickly to poke the ball over the line from close range after a corner.
This unleashed mayhem involving as many as 16 players and it took referee Stratos Plomaritis several minutes to sort things out.
Once play resumed, things got very physical and several yellow cards were shown to players from both sides and to Knights coach James Sherman and his assistant Marcello Marchioli.
The big surprise was that no red cards were shown, The referee must have been tempted as several challenges and incidents after play had been stopped verged on serious infringements.
Knights’ Austin Yost needed treatment on the field after suffering a gash just above the eye, and Knights official Anton Baltic had to mop up the blood on the artificial pitch before play could resume.
Apart from one heart-in-the-mouth incident in the Knights’ goalmouth, which was defused by excellent goalkeeping from Hart after a Kieran Mulraney header, there were no other real chances and Knights hung on for the 1-0 win, which set the scene for next Saturday’s showdown.
Devonport’s Joel Stone, Brody Denehey and Jordan Lamb were no real threats on the day and Knights were deserved winners.
Third-placed South Hobart became the highest scoring team in the competition with a 10-2 drubbing of bottom-side Riverside Olympic at South Hobart Oval.
South's Nick Morton netted four of his side's goals to take his season's tally to 20, just two behind Devonport's Brody Denehey with one game remaining.
Second-last Clarence Zebras overcame visiting fifth-ranked Launceston City 4-1 at Wentworth Park with some excellent goals.
After a goalless opening half, James Ackerley scored the first in the 54th minute after Riley Dillon was unable to control a looping pass into the box and the ball fell for his team-mate to smash home.
Dillon made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute with a perfectly placed shot inside the left-hand post.
Daniel Smith pulled a goal back for City in the 68th minute before a clinical finish by Dillon in the 71st minute restored the home-side’s two-goal buffer.
Ackerley finished the soring a minute from the end, but even though the win lifted Clarence Zebras to level on points with Olympia Warriors, the Warrior have their noses in front because of a better goal-difference.
Olympia went down 2-0 away to fourth-placed Kingborough Lions United, who scored through Jack Martin in the 26th minute and Andy Taylor on the hour-mark.
NPL Tasmania
Glenorchy Knights 1 (N Mearns 57) beat Devonport Strikers 0
South Hobart 10 (N Morton 4, S Berezansky 2, K Hallam 2, B Lakoseljac, own goal( beat Riverside Olympic 2 (F Fulton 2)
Clarence Zebras 4 (J Ackerley 54, 89, R Dillon 62, 71) beat Launceston City 1 (D Smith 68)
Kingborough Lions United 2 (J Martin 26, A Taylor 60) beat Olympia Warriors 0
NPL Tasmania standings (As at 4 September 2021)
|
TEAM |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
Devonport City |
20 |
15 |
2 |
3 |
53 |
13 |
47 |
|
Glenorchy Knights |
20 |
14 |
5 |
1 |
52 |
17 |
47 |
|
South Hobart |
20 |
12 |
4 |
4 |
56 |
24 |
40 |
|
Kingborough Lions |
20 |
10 |
4 |
6 |
40 |
36 |
33 |
|
Launceston City |
20 |
7 |
1 |
12 |
26 |
47 |
22 |
|
Olympia Warriors |
20 |
5 |
3 |
12 |
30 |
45 |
18 |
|
Clarence Zebras |
20 |
5 |
3 |
12 |
31 |
52 |
18 |
|
Riverside Olympic |
20 |
0 |
3 |
17 |
26 |
81 |
3 |
22 comments:
I take it FT do a review of the games as the Knights v Devonport should have a couple of card upgrades.
This game was always going to be a tight tussle and with tempers quite easily frayed.
Not sure if some early yellow cards to control the game would have worked or ruined the game as the players would then be walking on ice for the remainder of the game.
Not that a chat to someone already on a yellow card would hurt but referees are too quick to brandish the second yellow instead of assessing the situation and having another chat.
I think Kopra would have been a better choice for the middle of the park.
So which of the two games will you be attending Walter?
Or will it be a case of one half each?
I thought the ref done a great job out on the day. The players should be disgraced with there performance! No discipline whats so ever. U did not see the ref act like that on the day did u. He's damned if if he doesn't and damned if he does. And it doesn't matter who was the ref on the day it would have been the same and people would have crucified that referee also. Wow some people.
Not sure if I'd agree with you there.
The official in the middle is able to assert some form of discipline and control, especially in games like this.
In my view, I don't feel like it was.
Another referee may have done better or worse but in my opinion, the game wasn't the best controlled game I've seen.
Stratos has been the best ref this season. There's a good reason that Kopra was removed from the VIC NPL and A-League panel. Stratos sensed the occasion and handled both sets of players very well.
I don't think it is hard to be the best when the standard is not where it use to be.
I know that it's not the easiest job to do and we need more officials as without them, the game doesn't happen.
But on some occasions you wish that there was no official at all depending on how they are officiating the game.
That is all I am trying to say.
maybe to all of those, but in the end stratos had two teams desperate to win so there was always going to be fireworks. He could have legitimately sent off 3 or four players from both sides, which would have ruined the game.
Genuine question: when players behave poorly and an official shows lots of cards, spectators/coaches etc often claim the ref has 'lost control.' Isn't that what the cards are for: to control behaviour? At what point do the players need to take responsibility?
Just wondering if we have any stats on the leading assisters in the NPL this year
Anon 9.29PM.
Really ???????????
If there are any Ben will have them.
Really???? Are you for real behind 90% of goals scored there is an assisted pass that created the goal.you only recognise the goalscorer without even considering the person who most likely gave the goal on a plate to that player who was in a 100% better position to score.Thats called team play .I've seen many selfish players who have cost their teams by not passing to someone in a better position to score
I was only talking to my son about this yesterday.
He was telling me that he wanted to play up front so he could score the goals.
I told him that he does a far more important job than scoring the goals.
Creating them.
The work and imagination to creating a scoring opportunity far outweigh the final outcome in my view.
To intercept a pass or to play a correctly weighted ball or to cut out 3 defenders and a goal keeper to find the striker is much harder than putting the ball away.
Any mug can do that. I say this tongue in cheek.
But I still stand by my views that the set up of a goal is far more important than who scores the goal.
And let's not forget the defenders that stop the goals at the other end. They seem to get forgotten about in the "blogs". Especially in the women's game - it all seems to be about who scored the goals.
George 11.55
You have misunderstood my “really” comment.
I know very well that there are assists even though so hate that description.
I was referring to the fact that someone has asked a question to see if there are any stats on number of assists
F……. really????????????
Ask Knights this after Saturday when they dont win the league as they didnt have a NO9
I've had a saying for a long time.The player with the ball is the maker of the game the players off the ball are the creators of the game.
Totally agree has been far to much emphasis on the goal scorers this year with little recognition for those that have created the opportunities .... in the past leading assists were on Slice of Cheese but not this year ?
If scoring goals was so easy, more people would be able to do it. I agree creating the goal is just as important as scoring but it takes killer instinct and ability to score goals. Brayden Mann the best I've seen here at that, Sanders and Chris McKenna not far behind. You need great strikers to score goals and most teams that win titles, have a quality striker or at least quality forwards who score goals.
If you ask me whether I'd rather a deadly striker like Brayden Mann or a an excellent playmaker like a Shae Hickey, I'd take Mann every day of the week because scoring goals wins you games.
Anon 9.47 or should I say Brayden is Correct a clinical finisher is what's the most important thing a clean sheet gets you 1 point a goal can get you 3
Anon 9.47 and 11.36.
Lets not forget that a team consists of 11 players who all contribute in their own way. Mann does not get his opportunities unless players like Hickey do their thing . Some strikers are better finishers that other strikers and that is what makes the difference between goals and no goals. Having a Brayden Mann with no support or creativity behind will not win many games.
Good teams need good strikers who need good teams.
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