Devonport rise to the top like Ashgrove cream

Photo:  Knights' Jordan Muller brings down Launceston City's Albert Amankwaa. [PlessPix] 

Devonport Strikers moved to the top of the NPL Tasmania standings on Saturday after they beat South Hobart 1-0 at home at Valley Road and previous leaders Glenorchy Knights suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat against Launceston City at KGV Park.

South Hobart have dropped to fifth spot, while Launceston City are third.

Kingborough Lions United moved into fourth after an easy 5-1 win over Olympia Warriors at Clennett’s Lightwood Park on ANZAC Day evening.

Photo:  Former star import of the 1970s and 80s, Peter Sawdon, was in charge of Riverside on Saturday.  Rob Murray has been appointed Riverside's new coach for the rest of the reason to replace Alex Gaetani, but he was ill so Sawdon stepped into the breach for the weekend. [PlessPix]  

Riverside Olympic gained their first point of the season with a 1-1 draw against sixth-ranked Clarence Zebras at Wentworth Park.

Clarence Zebras went close when Sam Tooze hit the bar and forced another save from Riverside's keeper.

The visitors hit the front on the hour mark through Mitchell Jones, but James Ackerley salvaged a point for the hosts with an equaliser 10 minutes from the end. 

South Hobart went down to a 75^th-minute goal from Devonport’s Spanish import, Roberto Fernandez Garrido.

The move that led to the goal started from Devonport’s left-back position and involved a long diagonal ball to the left wing and a cross into the middle, where Garrido controlled the ball before making a shooting angle and driving the ball into the roof of the net.

There were ample opportunities for South Hobart to throw a spanner in the works and prevent this goal, but they appeared to switch off and allow Devonport to fashion the decisive goal from an easy finish by Garrido.

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Samuel Boscoe (left) under pressure from a Riverside Olympic opponent. [PlessPix]  

Glenorchy Knights had only themselves to blame for their defeat against Launceston City.

The Knights had numerous chances but were unable to score.  They hit the woodwork and shot narrowly wide of the far post on several occasions but City held firm and refused to panic.

With a draw seemingly inevitable, and with City down to ten men after the dismissal of defender Matthew Oh, a City counter-attack in the third minute of stoppage time did the trick.

Photo:  Knights' Jack Bowman and City's Gediminas Krusa watch the ball. [PlessPix]  

Knights lost possession on the left and on the edge of the City box.  A City defender moved forward with the ball and fed substitute Jaden Fidra, who went on a long run through midfield past two or three defenders before playing a perfect one-two with Gediminas Krusa.  Fidra collected Krusa’s precise return pass and slotted the ball past Knights keeper Reef Murfet with the outside of his right foot to give the visitors victory.

On Monday night, Kobe Kemp netted a brace and Noah Mies grabbed a hat-trick as Kingborough Lions beat the Warriors 5-1.

Substitute Tyson Barrett scored a late consolation for the Warriors, who were never in the hunt.

Photo:  Launceston City coach Lino Sciulli hoping the game would end soon. [PlessPix]  

NPL Tasmania Standings (As at 25 April 2022)

TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Devonport Strikers	5	4	0	1	13	1	12
Glenorchy Knights	5	3	1	1	9	3	10
Launceston City	4	3	0	1	9	7	9
Kingborough Lions	4	2	1	1	13	9	7
South Hobart	4	1	2	1	10	6	5
Clarence Zebras	4	1	1	2	8	7	4
Olympia Warriors	5	1	0	4	6	17	3
Riverside Olympic	5	0	1	4	1	19	1

 

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Sam Hills heads the ball away from a Riverside Olympic opponent. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Kingborough's Keenan Douce in a tussle with Olympia's Feisal Baddiley. [Photo by Tanner Coad]