Photo: Knights goalkeeper Alex Woodham about to be crunched by Devonport's Henry Andrews. [PlessPix]
Devonport Strikers, the runaway NPL Tasmania leaders, gambled on Saturday and won.
With one eye on Wednesday’s huge Australia Cup tie against A-League side Wellington Phoenix, Devonport coach Tom Ballantyne decided to rest key players.
They had leading striker Roberto Fernandez Garrido and ace attacker Brody Denehey on the bench for the NPL Tasmania game against second-placed Glenorchy Knights and still won 1-0.
Aaron Kidmas, Dominic Smith and Connor Parke, all regulars in the senior team, also started on the substitutes’ bench.
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The win came in the 70th minute from Nick Lanau-Atkinson, who curled a low free-kick with his left foot around the outside of the Knights defensive wall from the edge of the box on the left and inside the left-hand post.
Knights goalkeeper Alex Woodham, preferred yet again to Reef Murfet, yelled at his defenders to adjust the wall as Lanau-Atkinson shaped up to take the free, but it was to no avail as the ball flew into the net.
Knights were unlucky not to get a point. In stoppage time at the end of the game, a free-kick by Hugh Undy struck the inside of the left-hand post and the ball rebounded across the face of goal and was cleared.
The win put Devonport 12 points ahead of Knights, who dropped a place to third.
Kingborough Lions United moved up to second, 11 points adrift of Devonport, by winning 1-0 against bottom-side Riverside Olympia away at Windsor Park.
The winner came in the 59th minute through Alfred Hess, who took advantage of a poor headed clearance to volley home. The goal came after a period of sustained Kingborough pressure.
Riverside had their chances, especially one that fell to Thomas Milner.
Clarence Zebras easily accounted for Olympia Warriors at Wentworth Park 5-0.
The home side had a spring to their step. It’s not often they face such easy opponents.
The Olympia defence was woeful and Clarence Zebras took full advantage.
Sam Tooze opened the scoring in the 13th minute when he received a cross-field pass from Riley Dillon and outfoxed the goalkeeper before stroking the ball home.
Dillon made it 2-0 on the half-hour when he gained possession beyond the far right-hand post and the goalkeeper could not hold his powerful shot from an impossible angle before it just crossed the line.
Dillon and Tooze were terrorising the Warriors defence with their speed and positioning.
Both sides earned penalties before the break, but Olympia’s Jake Vandermey slammed his spot-kick against the bar, while at he other end, goalkeeper Mitch Stalker beat out Dillon’s penalty.
In the 57th minute, Tooze made it 3-0 from Dillon’s cutback, while in the 70th minute, a through-ball by Josh Mathie released Matt Pave through the middle and he scored easily as the defenders vanished into thin air.
At the very end of the game, substitute Lachie Burt was untroubled in firing home from inside the box, again with no defenders in close proximity.
In the remaining game, South Hobart downed Launceston City 201 away at Buckby Motors Park in Launceston to keep the northerners at bay on the standings.
The sides meet again at South Hobart Oval next Saturday in a postponed game from earlier in the season. It will be the only NPL game scheduled that weekend.
NPL Tasmania
Glenorchy Knights 0-1 Devonport Strikers (N Lanau-Atkinson 71)
Riverside Olympic 0-1 Kingborough Lions United (A Hess 59)
Clarence Zebras 5 (R Dillon 13, S Tooze 30, 57, M Pace 70, L Burt 90) beat Olympia Warriors 0
Launceston City 1-2 South Hobart
Men’s Southern Championship NPL Tasmania Standings (As at 30 July 2022)
|
TEAM |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
Devonport Strikers |
16 |
14 |
1 |
1 |
53 |
10 |
43 |
|
Kingborough Lions |
16 |
10 |
2 |
4 |
42 |
26 |
32 |
|
Glenorchy Knights |
16 |
10 |
1 |
5 |
35 |
15 |
31 |
|
South Hobart |
15 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
42 |
12 |
30 |
|
Launceston City |
15 |
8 |
1 |
6 |
29 |
27 |
25 |
|
Clarence Zebras |
16 |
4 |
2 |
10 |
28 |
37 |
14 |
|
Olympia Warriors |
16 |
2 |
0 |
14 |
17 |
58 |
6 |
|
Riverside Olympic |
16 |
0 |
2 |
14 |
7 |
69 |
2 |
25 comments:
Walter you make a good point regarding the lack of respect for past servants of the game.
Whose responsibility do you think it is to bring this to the attention of the game and supporters ? Would be interested to know your thoughts.
On the Zebras game, they are not the best side going around. That does not say much about their opposition. What an embarrassing performance. The sooner that club gets people back involved behind the scenes the better. No effort , care , pride or anything else for that matter. They really need to take a look at themselves and decide if they wish to remain in the NPL because with a performance like that, it does not appear that they do.
Should be ashamed of themselves and the situation they have let themselves reach.
Yep good point respect for servants of the game how can a player that's well known in the state possibly in the top ten players in the state have the 8 years experience all of a sudden this season be nothing more than a bench player and never knows if he is starting or on the bench till the team run out on the field
Oh dear 11.52 ????????
Oh dear
What are you talking about?
Wait... So all the complaints on the recent thread RE 'Dev Divers' and how they've been 'lucky' to get over the line in recent weeks.. They also had Garrido, Denehey, Kidmas, Smith and Parke start on the bench... HAHAHAHA. They are miles ahead of everyone. Double lolza.
They can still be lucky old mate it doesn't matter who plays does it, got more to do with refs and their incompetence
Devonports ressies beat the knights and it’s that simple
Ressies have beat everyone. Knights only team to beat strikers this year
Anon 8.23 AM
Yes Olympia’s performance was very poor, but to be fair to them their inexperienced side has really stepped up the last couple weeks with narrow losses to south and Glenorchy. One game doesn’t make or break whether they should still be in the npl or not. Your comments are a little too harsh I think. Have some respect for their history and success as a club.
Well, I’m absolutely amazed that Olympia never got on the board on Saturday. Zebras have the worse defenders in the game and it shows every week however Olympia last week made the Zebras strikers look like they actually earned their money for once with some non existent defence like you said Walter .Enjoy the moment zebras I’m tipping that will be your last win this season
In reply to O Dear your comment is more than valid, top players shunned for incoming players without being given chance to show their form hasn’t deteriorated from previous season. Not being told till last minute if they are on bench or not, this is total disrespect for any player let alone players who have been in top players continuously over the years. Not even given the respect due to them to be given a reason y this is happening, surely a good coach would have enough respect for his players to explain what players are doing or not doing wrong in his eyes. Seems to be protect the new players culture and push others out. Hopefully it doesn’t come back to bite them in coming season
Anon 8.23. I do have respect for their history . That's why I said what I said.
What they dished up on the weekend is an insult to the club and its history.
Give it a rest, Harvey.
That’s what money does
No way. Still to play riverside
I’d have thought they’d get over Riverside at home.
What a club are you referring too?
What club are you talking about below?
Anonymous said...
In reply to O Dear your comment is more than valid, top players shunned for incoming players without being given chance to show their form hasn’t deteriorated from previous season. Not being told till last minute if they are on bench or not, this is total disrespect for any player let alone players who have been in top players continuously over the years. Not even given the respect due to them to be given a reason y this is happening, surely a good coach would have enough respect for his players to explain what players are doing or not doing wrong in his eyes. Seems to be protect the new players culture and push others out. Hopefully it doesn’t come back to bite them in coming season
August 5, 2022 at 8:17 AM
It’s fair to always pick at things and keyboard warriors on here love to have a crack without much insite and idea
Zebras scored five against the same defence that sth struggled against the previous week and kept a clean sheet
Dominated all over the park and actually played some attractive football
Credit when it’s due - yep warriors were poor but maybe just maybe zebras had something to do with that !!!
what's happened to raph reynolds? one of the best in the league in prior years now vanished?
Anon 1.00PM
Please dont pump your tyres up too much !
Zebras were horrible to watch. Just not as bad as the opposition were , thats all.
And you think Zebras contributed to that ?
Dont kid yourself.
Olympia were embarrassing on Saturday, just as Zebras were for the previous 3 to 4 weeks , whereas Olympia were pretty good in the preceding period in which Zebras struggled.
So if you look at the last 5 or 6 weeks Olympia have possibly been the better side.
Interesting isnt it ?
Not really. Your bias shows.
Are you completely blind ? Zebras actually played some attractive football ?That would have to have been the dumbest comment I have seen on here for years .Ok congratulations if your son scored a goal old mate but Tin Legs Bader himself could have dribbled through the Olympia team and its bench to score
No more than a bench player now
The dumbest comment for years was you saying that was the dumbest comment for years...there's been much dumber comments than that one. Wouldn't be in the top 25.
Shame cause he was/still is a top player in my opinion
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