Tuesday, April 26, 2022

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 75th-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]
 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

It took a moment of magic from Garrido, but for the most part, the Strikers looked bereft of ideas in the front third, and South probably deserved a point. Maybe the new Port coach is still trying to work out what his best line-up is? When you can afford to leave players like Reynolds, Parke and Smith out of the starting XI, he certainly has some depth to play with.

oh dear said...

Has heaps of depth when he can drop Stone to nc1

Anonymous said...

Looks like there are more imports than locals at Devonport SC. Having appointed interstate coaches on full time wages over the last 6 years you would expect that the youth of Devonport would benefit...not so...lots of local players missing out each Saturday when over 1/2 the Championship team could play NPL and they come from outside the Devonport catchment area.

Anonymous said...

Very true but they win so it's ok

Anonymous said...

@ April 29, 2022 at 8:49 AM'
You really have no clue mate. It is about winning at the NPL level.
Nothing more nothing less. Could play NPL and winning the NPL are two vastly different things.
We make choices to win. Grow up.

Anonymous said...

Devonport in recent times have really turned their noses up to youth from the North-West Coast of Tasmania.

Anonymous said...

D'Port wage bill like the price of Ashgrove cream. When your imports are on 600+ and your head coach has an employment package worth 100k+, well so they should cake walk it this season.

Anonymous said...

3 imports plus nsw player and best players from Devonport that cant be cheap

Anonymous said...

What’s your source for this information?