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]