Taroona win Southern Championship League Cup

Photo:  Taroona with their Southern Championship League Cup. [PlessPix] 

Taroona won the Southern Championship League Cup with a 3-1 win over New Town Eagles at KGV Park tonight.

It could have been 7 or 8 nil but for some fine goalkeeping by Eagles’ Mitch Stalker and some bad misses by Taroona.

Taroona had countless one-on-situations with the goalkeeper but either fired wide or were denied by Stalker.

Stalker was taken off with 12 minutes remaining and his replacement, James Holland, didn’t let the side down and made several good saves.

Photo:  Taroona goalkeeper Isaac Scott thwarts Eagles' Rowan Heggie. [PlessPix] 

Taroona were without their suspended South American star, Ramiro Vilar, while Eagles rested key player Luke Huigsloot.  Their ace striker Adam McKeown was suspended.

Taroona led 1-0 at the interval through a 34^th minute goal by Oliver Maxwell.

Jasper Gardner made it 2-0 in the 52^nd minute, while Toby Fleming’s goal in the 59^th minute made the game safe for Taroona.

Sam Leszczynski pulled a goal back for Eagles 2 minutes from the end, but it was too late by then.

Photo:  Eagles' Ash Fisher takes on Taroona defender Ben Schaap. [PlessPix] 

Taroona coach Llewyn Tubb chuckled when it was suggested his side could have scored seven or eight goals.

“I suppose when you’re up 3-0 then the game kind of changes and New Town were throwing everything at us and opened up a lot of space behind,” said Tubb.

“It was certainly not the finishing we would have liked, but the amount of opportunities you create, we had to be happy with that.

“The League Cup is not what you play for because we want to win the league and it’s been a pretty disappointing year to be honest, but very happy to win something for the club.”

Photo:  Taroona's Toby Fleming races Eagles Oliver Johnstone. [PlessPix] 

University won the Southern Championship Reserves League Cup in tonight’s curtain-raiser, overcoming New Town White Eagles 4-2.

Eagles had goalkeeper Grant Nutting sent off after just 10 minutes and so played most of the game with 10 men.

Photo:  University Reserves coach, Hugh Graham, with the League cup his side won this evening. [PlessPix]
 

Devonport Strikers worthy 2023 champions

Photo:  Devonport display their trophy and celebrate before their fans at Valley Road on Saturday after the 2-0 victory over South Hobart.   [Photo by Brad Cole] 

When you need a goal, call the Lawman.

That’s what Manchester United fans and coaches used to say when Denis Law played for them.

At Devonport Strikers, you call Roberto Fernandez Garrido, their Spanish import.

Last Saturday, Garrido scored both their goals within three minutes of each other early in the second half as they disposed of visitors South Hobart 2-0 at Valley Road.

The win put them 15 points clear of second-placed Glenorchy Knights at the top of the standings with two games remaining.

Photo:  Kingborough's Noah Mies unlocks the Glenorchy Knights defence. [PlessPix] 

The defeat cost South Hobart second place as Glenorchy Knights also lost the previous evening.

They went down 2-0 to fourth-ranked Kingborough Lions United on a fine surface and under superb lights at Lightwood Park in Kingston.

Kingborough have win six games on the trot and the positive effect of player-coach Alfred Hess is there for all to see.

He has silenced his detractors by inspiring his side to play winning football, and he has scored vital goal himself to earn victories.

Hess opened the scoring midway through the first half after some brilliant play for Kobe Kemp, while the excellent Declan Taylor netted the second a minute before the interval.

The closest the Knights came to scoring was early in the match when Marco Favaro rattled the Kingborough crossbar with a fierce shot.

Knights were without coach James Sherman, who was attending a coaching course interstate, and they missed the drive of Nicholas Mearns out on the pitch.

Photo:  Kingborough Lions United coach, Alfred Hess, at Monday's media conference. [PlessPix] 

“I think it was probably our best performance of the year,” said Alfred Hess.

“Certainly, in the first half, I felt great control was achieved and it was nice to end with a result like that.

“We created a lot of high-end opportunities and we denied them many.

“They are a quality side, but probably for us, it’s just a reflection of a non-linear progression of our development and more consistency now, so, yeah, that’s probably about it.

“It was a really well-constructed victory.

“We’re achieving more consistency and learning and changing behaviour and it’s complex and not linear.

“We’re establishing a foundation on which we can build on next year.  That’s quite exciting.

“Players have worked diligently to get us to this point and we’ll look to build from there next year.”

Photo:  Monday's media conference at Sport & Recreation House at Cornelian Bay, which is where Football Tasmania's offices are now located. [PlessPix] 

Kingborough entertain the newly crowned champions, Devonport Strikers, at Lightwood Park next Saturday.

Hess said Devonport were worthy champions and it would be a great opportunity for his side to test themselves against a quality opponent.

Bottom-side Launceston United earned their first point of the season when a goal in the 6th minute of stoppage time by Aidan Rigby gave them a 1-1 draw with Riverside Olympic at home at Birch Avenue.

Gediminas Krusa had given visitors Riverside a 70^th-minute lead.

Clarence Zebras won the so-called ‘Italian Derby’ at Bucky Motors Park in Launceston by beating Launceston City 3-0.

After a goalless opening half, Xuan Cappellino struck 2 minutes after the break to out the visitors ahead.

Ryley Wishart made it 2-0 on the hour, while Matthew Pace added the southerners’ third in the 7^th minute of stoppage time.

The three Launceston clubs occupy the bottom three placings on the ladder and that in itself tells a story.

Photo:  Knights keeper Jackson Gardner goes for a cross. [PlessPix] 

 NPL Tasmania

Kingborough Lions United 2-0 Glenorchy Knights

Devonport Strikers 2-0 South Hobart

Launceston United 1-1 Riverside Olympic

Launceston City 0-3 Clarence Zebras

Photo:  Mr Plomaritis books Knight's stand-in coach, Tom Sherman. [PlessPix] 

 NPL Tasmania (As at 26 August 2023)

TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
Devonport Strikers	19	17	1	1	63	13	52
Glenorchy Knights	19	12	1	6	44	18	37
South Hobart	19	11	3	5	53	28	36
Kingborough Lions	19	11	0	8	58	33	33
Clarence Zebras	19	8	2	9	47	47	26
Launceston City	18	8	1	9	23	29	25
Riverside Olympic	18	3	1	14	17	68	10
Launceston United	19	0	1	18	12	81	0

Photo:  This bandicoot scampered behind the coaches' benches at Lightwood Park and is shown thinking about entering the video filming stand. [PlessPix]