Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Sunday Summer Cup games were far from rubbish and produced exciting football

Photo:  Aerial gymnastics in the Hobart United versus University game on Sunday. [PlessPix]

 Sunday was a much cooler day than Saturday, but the various Summer Cup games were as exciting as the ones on Saturday.

Olympia Warriors easily smashed Nelson Eastern Suburbs 5-1, despite having captain Brayton Allen sent off after just half an hour.

Nelson actually took the lead on the half-hour through Will Stalker, but the Warriors recovered and, playing with just 10 men, scored five goals.

Olympia led 2-1 at the break after Joel Sammut and Tyson Barrett netted within five minutes of each other just before the interval.

Barrett went on to complete his hat-trick with goals in the 50th and 75th minutes, while Jacob Clothier also got on the score-sheet in the 70th minute.

Photo:  Hobart United's Sean Heathorn is just a fraction late to stop University's Lachlan Brown from heading at goal. [PlessPix] 

Hobart United lost their goalkeeper in the warm-up as they prepared to take on University.

United led 2-1 at the break with goals by Elhadi Eldayar and Solomon Lagu, on either side of a goal by University’s Jeremy Goddard.

John Wani increased United’s lead to 3-1 a minute after the resumption, but University then began an amazing comeback in a very exciting game.

George Ivanov’s goal in the 58th minute made it 3-2 before a strike by Lachlan Brown with 20 minutes to go made it all square at 3-3.

Photo:  A joyous celebration by Univesrity's Lachlan Brown after scoring. [PlessPix] 

Zachary Piesse added a fourth for the Students in the 75th minute before Ivanov completed his brace with a penalty to make it 5-3 for University.

Photo:  University's Zachary Piesse roars with delight after scoring. [PlessPix] 

It was a fast and furious encounter and United felt the loss of their first-choice keeper before the game even began contributed significantly to their downfall.

In the women’s game between Taroona and Kingborough Lions United, a mistake by the Lions keeper gave Taroona a shock lead in the opening seconds through Daisy Parsell.

It took the Lions keeper a while to settle down and she also gave a free-kick away later after inexplicably picking up the ball outside the penalty area.

Photo:  Taroona celebrate their unexpected opening goal after just mere seconds from kick-off. [PlessPix] 

She redeemed herself later with a fine save when she turned a goal-bound shot onto the crossbar to deny Taroona goal.

Goals by Maeve Dunbabin, Laura Davis and Rosemary Rodden put Kingborough 3-1 up at half-time.

Two goals by Samantha Watkins after the break put Kingborough in the driving seat at 5-1 before Parsell pulled a goal back for Taroona in the 73rd minute.

Laura Davis completed the scoring with a goal 8 minutes from the end to seal a 6-1 win for the Lions.

Photo:  Taroona's Caitlin Riley with the ball. [PlessPix] 

I ventured to the top of the grandstand at KGV Park for the first time this season to watch the action and get out of the drizzle and I was disgusted at the mess on the seats.

Discarded hot chips and other food items and wrappings littered the top row and provided a real safety hazard.  If someone were to stand on a chip, they would slip and could suffer a serious fall.  I don’t know if the scraps were from that day or from Saturday, but it’s unacceptable.

Photo:  Discarded food scraps near the back of the grandstand at KGV Park. No big deal some might say, but a safety issue for old codgers like me. [PlessPix]
 
Photo:  A slip could be the result of this mess. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Unsightly and unhygienic at best in the grandstand at the headquarters of football. [PlessPix

 If the mess had been made on the Sunday, the people responsible should have cleaned it up, while if it had been made on Saturday, it was a health and safety issue and should have been cleaned up.

There’s my gripe for the weekend.  Fortunately, it didn’t detract from the exciting football, but it was an accident waiting to happen, especially for us older folks.

 

Photo:  Kingborough coach Simon Edwards sends on Laura Davis. [PlessPix]

Photo: Laura Davis and Danielle Kannegiesser celebrate a Kingborough goal. [PlessPix]

Monday, February 27, 2023

Devonport to meet South Hobart at Windsor Park, Launceston, next Saturday at 3pm in NPL Summer Cup Final

Photo:  South Hobart's Nick Morton attacks down the flank against Knights. [PlessPix] 

South Hobart qualified for the final of the NPL Summer Cup when they beat Glenorchy Knights 1-0 at KGV Park on a sweltering Saturday on the weekend.

The Knights’ shooting again left a lot to be desired and explains their loss.

Hugh Undy, for example, blazed way wide of the target as early as the 2nd minute when provided with a chance.

Knights were also fragile at the back.  In the 4th minute, a wayward pass by captain Eli Luttmer let Iskander Van Doorne in with a chance, but he, too, drove wide of the target.

Photo:  The two captains.  Knights' skipper Eli Luttmer gets a pass away as South Hobart captain Nick Morton (right) can only watch. [PlessPix] 

South Hobart hit the front in the 31st minute when Knights goalkeeper Jackson Gardner parried Nick Morton’s stinging shot and Joshua Schofield netted the rebound.

As the first half drew towards an end, Undy had another chance for Knights but headed wide.

South Hobart appeared to go on the defensive in the second half as Knights cranked up the pressure and just 2 minutes after the resumption Jack Turner fired wide of the left-hand post against his former club, while 4 minutes into the half, Luttmer cracked a shot against the South Hobart crossbar.

In the 52nd minute, Adam Gorrie, another former South Hobart player, had two powerful shots blocked as the Knights searched desperately for an equaliser.

Photo:  Shoulder-to-shoulder tussle between South Hobart's Iskander Van Doorne (left) and Knights' Mathew Brkic. [PlessPix] 

As the game wore on, South Hobart managed a couple of promising counter attacks, but both Sam Berezansky and Morton shot high over the bar when they should at least have worked the keeper.

South Hobart hung on for the win and they will now meet Devonport Strikers in the NPL Summer Cup Final at Windsor Park in Launceston next Saturday at 3pm.

Devonport have been the most impressive side in the NPL Summer Cup and have scored 21 goals in their three outings without conceding a single goal.

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Argentine import Xuan Caooellino about to be challenged by Kingborough's player-coach Alfred Hess and Ilan Mastrocola-Simon. [PlessPix] 

On Saturday, they demolished the visiting Launceston City 6-0 at Valley Road.

Brody Denehey put them ahead in the first minute, while Roberto Garrido added a second before the break.

Ali Dulleh made it 3-0 just past the hour-mark, while Garrido completed his brace in the 71st minute.

Further goals by Dulleh and Fahim Moradi in the closing five minutes completed Devonport’s tally.

On the evidence of this tournament, who is going to stop Devonport from dominating Tasmanian football yet again?

Photo:  Clarence Zebras' Curtis Miley squeezes between two Kingborough opponents. [PlessPix] 

In the remaining games, Kingborough Lions United finally came good when it was too late, beating Clarence Zebras 5-2 at KGV Park, while Launceston United downed Riverside Olympic 2-1 at Windsor Park.

Clarence Zebras were missing the suspended goalkeeper Josh Jones, top striker Riley Dillon, who was also suspended, and the injured Josh Mathie for the game against Lions.

A misunderstanding at the back in the opening minute saw the Lions take the lead when goalkeeper Manny Hennicke’s attempted clearance cannoned off Kobe Kemp and into the net.

Cade Smith levelled for Clarence Zebras just 2 minutes later, but Greg Downes netted with a volley at the far post in the 23rd minute to give the Lions a 2-1 advantage at the interval.

Photo:  Kingborough's Matt Hess holds off Clarence Zebras' Cade Smith. [PlessPix] 

Three goals in a 7-minute period early in the second half put Kingborough out of reach.

Downes completed his brace in the 55th minute, as did Kobe Kemp in the 62nd, while Noah Mies sandwiched a goal between those.

Matthew Pace netted a second for Clarence Zebras in the 76th minute to make it 5-2, but he was sent off 9 minutes from the end after collecting a second yellow card for a late challenge on Kingborough’s substitute keeper Roan Gillam.

Photo:  Lions' Kobe Kemp and Noah Mies celebrate Mies's goal as team-mates rush to join in.  The look on the face of Clarence Zebras' Sam Tooze says it all. [PlessPix] 

Clarence Zebras’ new Dutch import, centre-back Pritchard Adjei, arrived from the UK on Saturday.  How they are going to need him.

Goals by Abdelkhalig Abdelrasoul and Lachlan Dean gave Launceston United their 2-1 win over Riverside Olympic, who replied on the final whistle through Karma Gyeltshen.

The Under-21 Summer Cup Final between Launceston City and Clarence Zebras has been scheduled for Windsor Park in Launceston next Saturday at 12.30pm.

Photo:  A Lion in pursuit of a Zebra.  Kingborough's Keenan Douce chasing Clarence Zebras' Sam Tooze.  The intensity is clearly evident and it makes me yearn to see a Tasmanian State team in action again.  Imagine, for instance, if these two players played for a Tasmanian State team and showed such determination against, say, interstate opposition.  Bring it on.  Probably a pipe dream on my part. [PlessPix]
 

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Summer Cup results - Sunday, 26 February 2023

Photo:  Hobart City Beachside's Nurudeen Owolewa volleys home the equaliser against Taroona today. [PlessPix] 

Southern Championship Summer Cup

Nelson Eastern Suburbs 1 (Will Stalker 30) lost to Olympia Warriors 5 (Joel Sammut 35, Tyson Barrett 40, 50, 75, Jacob Clothier 70)

Taroona 1 (Jake Stuart 40) lost to Hobart City Beachside 2 (Nurudeen Owolewa 56, Samuel Mulcahy 87)

Photo:  The lively Jackson Khasif has a shot for Hobart City Beachside against Taroona. [PlessPix]  

University 5 (Nick Devereaux 24, George Ivanov 58, 77, Lachlan Brown 70, Zachary Piesse 75) beat Hobart United 3 (Elhadi Eldayar 18, Solomon Lagu 43, John Wani 46)

Photo:  Lachlan Brown scores for University shortly after coming on as a substitute to make it 3-3 after University were trailing 3-1 at the interval. [PlessPix]

Photo:  University's Zachary Piesse (third from right) is congratulated by team-mates after scoring to put his side in front 4-3. [PlessPix]

Photo:  University defender Nick Devereaux (right) wins the ball despite a sliding tackle by a Hobart United opponent. [PlessPix]

Women's Summer Cup

Taroona 2 (Daisy Parsell 1, 73) lost to Kingborough Lions United 6 (Maeve Dunbabin 26, Laura Davis 29, 82, Rosemary Rodden 33, Samantha Watkins 55, 71)

Photo:  Taroona's Ineeka Link shields the ball from Kingborough's Niki Moutsatsos. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Taroona's Maeve Dunbabib (left) in a fight for possession with Kingborough's Meghan Goscombe as Taroona's Esther Graham-Smith watches. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Kingborough keeper Erika MacIntosh turns the ball against the crossbar. [PlessPix]

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Summer Cup results - Saturday, 25 February 2023

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights' Mathedw Brkic (left) tackles South Hobart's Ewan Sloan. [PlessPix] 

NPL Summer Cup

Glenorchy Knights 0 lost to South Hobart 1 (J Schofield 31)

Clarence Zebras 2 (C Smith 3, M Pace 76) lost to Kingborough Lions United 5 (K Kemp 1, 62, G Downes 23, 55, N Mies 57)

Devonport Strikers 6-0 Launceston City

Riverside Olympic 1 (K Gyeltshen 90+2) lost to Launceston United 2 (A Abdelrasoul 49, L Dean 77)

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights threaten the South Hobart goal in today's Under-21 Summer Cup clash at KGV Park. [PlessPix]  

Under-21 Summer Cup

Glenorchy Knights 0 lost to South Hobart 9 (D Arnaiz 4, T Galt 3, J Otto, O White)

Clarence Zebras 2 (F Palmer 80, B Jones 90+2) neat Kingborough Lions United 1 (H Carius 58) 

Riverside Olympic 4-2 Launceston United

Devonport Strikers 1-3 Launceston City

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights' Hugh Undy (right) battles with South Hobart's Sam Berezansky. [PlessPix]
 

Photo:  Glenorchy Knights' Michael Kvarantan clears ahead of South Hobart's Jayden Hey. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Action from today's Under-21 Summer Cup game between Glenorchy Knights and South Hobart at KGV Park. [PlessPix]

Northern Men's Championship Summer Cup

Ulverstone 7-2 Launceston City

Somerset Sharks 0-5 Northern Rangers

Burnie United 6 (Tyler Innes 22, Hamish Young 27 pen, Mason Attfield 35, Caleb Kennelly 64,  Ali Abadi 81, William Lowe 90) beat Riverside Olympic 0 

Photo:   Kingborough threaten the Clarence Zebras goal. [PlessPix] 

Southern Men's Championship Summer Cup

South Hobart 1-7 New Town White Eagles  

Photo:  A Kingborough Under-21 side defender clears against Clarence Zebras. [PlessPix] 

Women's Summer Cup

South Hobart 1-1 Clarence Zebras

[South Hobart won penalty shoot-out 5-4.]

Photo:  Action from the Under-21 game between Clarence Zebras and Kingborough Lions United. [PlessPix]

Photo:  Kingborough's Noah Mies tries to catch a Clarence Zebras opponent. [PlessPix]