NPL football was on the menu again last Sunday.
As I’ve said before, that’s how it should be.
It’s the top flight in Tasmanian football and fans should be given the opportunity to enjoy a top-level game on Sunday.
It was at Wentworth Park for the first time this season and featured a resurgent Kingborough Lions United away to a promising Clarence Zebras.
There was a good deal of interest in this game and it showed how popular top-flight men’s football is on a Sunday.
South Hobart supremo, Ken Morton, was there, as was Glenorchy Knights’ head honcho, James Sherman, the latter sitting discreetly in the portable stand just behind the goal at the club rooms end of the ground.
Players from other NPL clubs were also there, including a group from Glenorchy Knights.
The Knights’ Austin Yost was amongst them, his left shoulder in a sling. It was a legacy from the previous day’s game, in which Knights had beaten Riverside Olympic 5-0 in Launceston.
A dislocated shoulder was the verdict. It was the third time in less than 12 months that Yost had suffered this injury and it had always kept him out of action for months. This time, it will require surgery, Yost said resignedly.
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Clarence Zebras, the home side, had a new marquee erected and dozens of budding young stars buzzing about in an enthusiastic throng to welcome the senior team.
The senior team was undermanned. They were missing the injured Josh Mathie and the injured new import Pritchard Adjei.
Defender Josh Burgess was captain and Matthew Pace was getting a start, as were Benjamin Tilley and William Simaan.
Kingborough had Lee Mackie in goal in place of Roan Gillam. The latter, who is a physiotherapist, was on the bench in that capacity rather than as a player.
The game was a mere 4 minutes old when Burgess scored with a diving header. But, it was at the wrong end. The own-goal gave the visitors the lead.
The Lions powerful attacker, Kobe Kemp, was on fire. He showed lightning speed and clever finishing from range to make it 3-0 with goals in the 18th and 21st minutes, catching Clarence Zebras keeper Josh Jones out of position both times.
At 3-0, the game looked as good as over.
My nostrils twitched as a number of spectators came close carrying containers of hot chips smothered with gravy. Was now the time to partake?
I resisted the mighty temptation and concentrated on the game.
Just as well. In the 38th minute, the home side pulled a goal back through their Argentinian import, Xuan Cappellino, who rifled a free-kick from 25 metres in off the underside of the crossbar to make it 3-1 and give Clarence Zebras a whiff of hope.
That evaporated into thin air in stoppage time at the end of the first half when Greg Downes made it 4-1 with a magnificent curling drive from range with his less favoured left foot.
Despite the half-time score, Clarence Zebras had shown potential and Riley Dillon had gone awfully close to scoring on at least a couple of occasions.
Kingborough brought on winger Declan Taylor at half-time and he proved a revelation.
He demonstrated fantastic skills and, at times, turned the home defenders inside out and tied them in knots near the corner flag on the left. How does he not get a start?
Tilley grabbed a second for Clarence Zebras in the 56th minute, the ball having been adjudged to have crossed the line before Kingborough player-coach Alfred Hess headed clear, much to the relief of the home side and their supporters.
Lions keeper Mackie was taken off injured on the hour and replaced by Eisa Azizi. The stricken keeper was treated by Gillam, Kingborough’s physio, and often their goalkeeper, so there is always work for him to do, even if he isn’t playing.
Noah Mies, who appeared to be the centre of attack for Kingborough, but whose role was to lay the ball off to team-mates coming through rather than strike at goal himself, showed he could score if needed by smashing home his side’s fifth in the 66th minute, the ball going in off the angle of crossbar and post.
The impressive Taylor nodded home the sixth from close range in the 72nd minute after an excellent cross from the right by Kemp.
Dillon, who had a header come back off the far post, netted a consolation goal for Clarence Zebras in the final minute, but the visitors were well worth their 6-3 win.
“I think both teams would have been happy scoring goals but you’re never happy conceding goals, “ said Clarence Zebras coach, Brett Pullen.
“There’s lots of reasons for it and we’ll try and work on things during the week so it doesn’t happen again.
“If, at the right time, you score certain goals then I think the momentum is there. We’re really inexperienced, but that’s no excuse. We had some people out with a bit of leadership and heads go down and up, but that’s what we’ve got to build on.
“Kingborough are a good team and people underestimate them. Their first eleven are a really good eleven and they showed today in front of goals that they can be ruthless.”
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Clarence Zebras striker, Riley Dillon, said: “I just didn’t take my chances. I just wanted the result and hopefully I can come back stronger next week against Taroona in the Cup.
“We just didn’t take our chances and I missed a couple. But sometimes, that’s football.”
Kingborough player-coach, Alfred Hess, said: “For us, it was a good performance.
“We had a clear idea of what we wanted to do today and the fellows executed it with a high level of sophistication.
“I think we had control for most parts, but they’re an awkward opponent and they’ll always make you earn your wins, particularly at home, and they did that today.
“But, I think we limited their chances and they might have been fortunate with the opportunities that they did create and take.
“It’s pleasing that we’re scoring, but we conceded a few today as well.”
*****
Devonport Strikers climbed to the top of the standings on Saturday with a 2-0 home win over Launceston City at Valley Road.
Both goals came from Roberto Garrido, the first from a penalty in the 10th minute, and the second in the 51st minute.
When City had Juan Hampson sent off in the 52nd minute, there went the visitors’ chances.
Joel Stone celebrated his return to Valley Road by collecting a yellow card in the final minute.
Glenorchy Knights led Riverside Olympic 1-0 at half-time at Windsor Park through a goal by Tyler Harrison and they added four more after the break through Jack Turner, Lucas Dzalakowski, Mathew Brkic and recent import Daniel Sagno.
South Hobart squeezed home 3-2 away to newcomers Launceston United away at Birch Avenue.
An own-goal by United captain Connor Reading in the 19th minute gave South Hobart the lead, but goals by David Owusu in the 31st and 33rd minutes put United 2-1 ahead.
A brace before half-time by Nick Morton made it 3-2 for the visitors at the interval and there were no more goals in the second half.
NPL Tasmania (As at 2 April 2023)
|
TEAM |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
Devonport Strikers |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
9 |
2 |
7 |
|
South Hobart |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
5 |
7 |
|
Kingborough Lions |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
12 |
6 |
6 |
|
Glenorchy Knights |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
1 |
6 |
|
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
6 |
|
|
Clarence Zebras |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
9 |
2 |
|
Launceston United |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
11 |
0 |
|
Riverside Olympic |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
12 |
0 |
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