Olympia overcome Olympic in meaningless encounter

Photo:  Olympia's Lufti Baddiley shuts down an Olympic opponent. [PlessPix]  

(NPL Tasmania, Empire Couriers Park, Saturday, 25 June 2022)

Olympia Warriors 4 (Barrett 35, Holmes 45, Pickup 63, 71)

Riverside Olympic 0

HT:  2-0   Att:  90   Ref:  Z Van Toor

Olympia Warriors:  Stalker;  Allan, L Baddiley, Barrett, Cummins, Holmes, Mamic, Pickup, Sammut, Sloan, Vivarelli  [Subs:  F Baddiley, Houston, McGuinness (GK), Schwarz, Vandermey]

Riverside Olympic:  Johnson;  Carter, Coert, Fenner, Humphrey, Poulson, W Prince, Z Reissig, Shaw, Sykes, Rutabayiro  [Sub:  Harrop]

Photo:  Olympia's Brayton Allan clears with a diving header. [PlessPix]  

When a visiting team from the north has only one substitute, it’s a clear sign that things are not right.

Riverside had just the one spare when they came to Empire Couriers Park on Saturday night for the Olympia versus Olympic NPL Tasmania clash.

They were no match for the home side and when they found themselves 2-0 down at half-time, there were few options to turn things around.

It was one-way traffic most of the time and Warriors goalkeeper Mitch Stalker will seldom have such an easy time.

Photo:  Olympia midfielder Simon Vivarelli gets a pass away. [PlessPix]  

Tyson Barrett gave Olympia the lead in the 35^th minute, while the tall Alex Holmes slid home the second in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

Adam Pickup headed the third and within minutes killed off Riverside with Olympia’s fourth.

Olympia could afford to bring on the unfit Jake Vandermey for the second half as they completely controlled the proceedings, orchestrated by the mobile conductor, Joel Sammut.

Photo:  Olympia's Simon Vivarelli in pursuit of an Olympic opponent. [PlessPix]  

There was hardly any excitement in this bottom-of-the-table encounter and Riverside Olympic are condemned to the wooden spoon yet again, while the Warriors are unlikely to improve on their second-last position.

The sooner promotion and relegation in some form is introduced, the sooner the NPL will be sparked back into some semblance of life.  Surely it cannot go on as it is.

Photo:  Olympia's Jake Vandermey (right) warms up at half-time.  Far from fully fit, Vandermey played in the second half. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Olympia's Brayton Allan (left) and Alex Holmes in earnest discussion as they come in at half-time. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  Olympia assistant coach Nick Di Martino takes one of his players under his wing. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Olympia coach Rob Clarke has words of encouragement to one of his injured absentees. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  Olympia's Adam Pickup is scoring goals regularly for his club. [PlessPix]

Knights move back to second, but Devonport are disappearing over the horizon

Photo:  Eli Luttmer (No.10) acknowledges Kalvin Pitt, who mopped up his saved penalty. [PlessPix] 

(NPL Tasmania, KGV Park, Saturday, 25 June 2022)

Glenorchy Knights 4 (Schmidt 26, Luttmer 58, Yost 75, Pitt 85)

Clarence Zebras 0

HT:  1-0   Att:  100   Ref:  A Giusti

Glenorchy Knights:  Murfett  -  Gorrie, Harrison, Luttmer, Bowman  -  Castaneda, Undy, Schmidt  -  Naden, Walpole, Yost  [Subs:  Brkic, Dzalalowski, Muller, Pitt, Woodham (GK)]

Clarence Zebras:  Dyson  -  Bourke, Baumgartner, Cook, Eugster  -  Mathie, Hills, Curtis  -  Tooze, Pace, Dillon  [Subs:  Ackerley, Burgess, Burt, Ebini, Randall (GK)]

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Riley Dillon (rear) contests a header with Knights' captain Eli Luttmer. [PlessPix]  

Glenorchy Knights moved back into second place on the NPL Tasmania standings with this comfortable 4-0 win over struggling Clarence Zebras.

The visitors showed plenty of fight in the first half and had two or three chances that came to nothing because of erratic shooting.

As one Clarence Zebras official said to me:  “If only we had Bruce Ward at centre-forward.”

The Clarence Zebras strikers nibbled around the edges rather than forced their way into the box to test the keeper.  They managed some shots, but they were high over the bar.

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' skipper Ryan Cook knees the ball to block a shot from Knights' Thomas Walpole. [PlessPix]  

The Knights, who sprayed the ball left and right and slowly moved forward, rarely posed a threat.  They were without the injured duo of Kyle Vincent and Cade Smith and their absence was noticeable.  They had plenty of creators to build u attacks, but nothing up front to finish them.

This played into the hands of Clarence Zebras, for whom Daniel Baumgartner and Ryan Cook held the fort and also took time to launch attacks with long balls forward.

It took a Knights midfielder to break the deadlock.  In the 26^th minute, a square ball from the left by Jack Bowman to Daniel Schmidt saw Schmidt take one touch before hammering an absolute bullet from 25 metres inside the left-hand post.  Clarence Zebras keeper Matt Dyson was still looking for the ball as it hit the back of the net.  Dyson had earlier been lucky to keep out a free-kick that glanced off the outside of the left-hand post.

Clarence Zebras managed to contain the situation and were still in the game when the teams went in at the break.

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Riley Dillon gets a pass away as Knights' Daniel Schmidt moves in. [PlessPix]  

Just before the hour-mark, Knights skipper Eli Luttmer made it 2-0 with an excellent volley from 12 metres following a corner and that seemed to spell the end for Clarence Zebras, who made several substitutions to no effect.

In the 75^th minute, Austin Yost left a couple of opponents on the ground in his wake as he cut in from the left and scored with a curling shot inside the right-hand post from just outside the box.

Five minutes from the end, Knights were awarded a penalty for hand-ball as Clarence Zebras desperately tried to snuff out a Knights attack inside the six-yard box.  Dyson saved Luttmer’s spot-kick, but substitute Kalvin Pitt forced the ball over the line to make it 4-0.

Photo:  Knights' Thomas Walpole gets past Clarence Zebras' Ryan Cook. [PlessPix]

Sunday results - 26 June 2022

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights on the attack against Taroona today at KGV Park. [PlessPix]  

Women’s Southern Championship

Glenorchy Knights 4-0 Taroona

University v New Town White Eagles [Postponed  -  Olinda Grove closed]

Kingborough Lions United v South Hobart [Postponed  -  Clennet’s Lightwood Park closed]

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights' skipper in a tackle. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  Knights winger lays the ball back to a team-mate. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Hobart City Beachside's Shaun McManus (left_ can only watch as Eagles win possession at Sandown Park today. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Hobart City Beachside's Shaun McManus and Eagles' Liam Brown watch as Hobart City Beachside gain possession. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  An Eagles player slide-tackles an Hobart City Beachside opponent. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Hobart City Beachside's Bernhard Klasen tackles an Eagles opponent. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Aerial contest in the game at Sandown Park. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Eagles' Monty Piesse (right) watches a team-mate do his thing. [PlessPix]

Photo:  A through-ball by Hobart City Beachside. [PlessPix]

Photo:  A clash between Shaun McManus (Hobart City Beachside) and Liam Brown (Eagles). [PlessPix]

Saturday results - 25 June 2022

Photo: Austin Yost scores to make it 3-0 for the Knights against Clarence Zebras. [PlessPix

NPL Tasmania

Glenorchy Knights 4-0 Clarence Zebras

Olympia Warriors 4-0 Riverside Olympic

Launceston City 1-2 Devonport Strikers

Photo:  Alex Holmes makes it 2-0 for Olympia against Olympic. [PlessPix]  

NPL Tasmania Standings (As at 25 June 2022)

TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Devonport Strikers	11	10	0	1	40	5	30
Glenorchy Knights	11	7	1	3	28	9	22
Kingborough Lions	11	7	1	3	31	19	22
South Hobart	10	6	2	2	34	7	20
Launceston City	10	5	1	4	21	22	16
Clarence Zebras	11	2	2	7	10	27	8
Olympia Warriors	11	2	0	9	13	44	6
Riverside Olympic	11	0	1	10	4	48	1

Photo:  Eli Luttmer volleys the Knights' second goal. [PlessPix]

Men’s Southern Championship

Taroona 3-0 Glenorchy Knights

Olympia Warriors 1-6 Hobart United

Kingborough Lions United 0-2 South East United

University 3-2 South Hobart

Hobart City Beachside 0-1 Metro

New Town White Eagles 3-1 Clarence Zebras

Photo:  Olympia's Brayton Allan under pressure from a Riverrside opponent. [PlessPix]  

Men’s Northern Championship

Launceston City 1-2 Devonport Strikers

Northern Rangers 4-0 Burnie United

Launceston United 6-0 Riverside Olympic

Ulverstone 3-3 Somerset Sharks

Photo:  Knights' Daniel Schmidt gets away from Clarence Zebras' Sam Tooze. [PlessPix]  

Women’s Super League

Launceston United 1-1 Devonport Strikers

Taroona 0-8 Clarence Zebras

Photo:  Olympia's Adam Pickup heads home against Riverside Olympic. [PlessPix]  

Women’s Northern Championship

Launceston United 1-6 Riverside Olympic

Launceston City 3-2 Devonport Strikers

Northern Rangers 1-3 Burnie United

Ulverstone 7-0 Somerset Sharks

 

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Ryan Cook clears ahead of Knights' Nick Naden. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Clarence Zebras goalkeeper Matt Dyson saves Eli Luttmer's penalty, only for Kalvin Pitt to hit home the rebound. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  Kalvin Pitt and Eli Luttmer after the former saved the latter's blushes. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Clarence Zebras goalkeeper Matt Dyson shows his juggling skills. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Olympia's Simon Vivarelli moves in on Riverside Olympic skipper Will Humphrey. [PlessPix]