The NPL Tasmania competition keeps throwing up surprises.
Just when a side appears to be heading for the title, it slips up and another side moves in to become favourite.
Last weekend was just like that and, if the situation can be described in one word, that word would be ‘inconsistency.’
There’s probably only one team in the competition that is consistent and that is the bottom side, Launceston United.
They have lost all 13 of their games and are in action again on Friday night when they host second-last Riverside Olympic at Birch Avenue in a game that was postponed a few weeks ago.
Launceston United look certain to lose this game, too, given that Riverside won last Saturday and also drew with the ladder-leaders the previous weekend.
Last Saturday, Launceston United were on the end of a 6-0 thrashing by the visiting Kingborough Lions United, who moved into third spot as a result of the win.
Talented youngster Alexander Brown broke the deadlock for the Lions after 41 minutes, while fullback Keenan Douce made it 2-0 shortly after.
Kobe Kemp added the third before Noah Mies netted a brace either side of a goal by another precocious talent in the Lions’ pride, Eli Wright ,grandson of one of the club’s greats, Tommy Wright.
The big shocks of Round 14, however, were the vanquishment of reigning champions Devonport City and the league leaders South Hobart.
Devonport City slumped to fourth after being wiped off the pitch 4-0 by Glenorchy Knights, who finally regained a top spot that they had occupied for some time earlier in the season.
And, South Hobart belied recent form by losing 4-2 away to fifth-ranked Launceston City, who I always thought could play a role in determining the destination of this year’s title.\
It’s been a while since Devonport have performed so poorly.
This is not to diminish the Knights’ performance in any way, but this is certainly not the Devonport side we have been accustomed to in recent seasons.
They really do miss their Spanish scoring talisman in Roberto Garrido and have been unable to replace him.
They also miss goalkeeper Keegan Smith. Their new keeper, Mitchell Higgins, makes a few gaffs in a game that costs them, but he has the right temperament and is not easily rattled.
He took some extraordinary heat from the Knights supporters behind his goal in the second half and, to his credit, did not lose his cool. He was, in fact, very polite in his responses but the jury is out on whether that is a good thing. Perhaps he should not have let himself become involved in the banter at all.
As it was, Stefan Cordwell gave Knights an early lead and completed his brace midway through the half before Josh Redfearn and Thomas Walpole completed the triumph by the three-quarter mark of the game.
Devonport even squandered a penalty, Brody Denehey skying his spot-kick over the bar. I wonder why Xuan Cappellino didn’t take it?
Perhaps it’s time for Myles Barnard and Jordan Payne to be given a run. Barnard, who has oodles of senior experience, netted five gals and Payne hit six in the Devonport Under-21’s 12-0 thrashing of Knights in the curtain-raiser.
Nick Morton gave South Hobart the lead against Launceston United at Prospect but Thierry Swaby levelled shortly after.
Alex Walter put South 2-1 up at the break before Swaby netted his second to make it 2-2 midway through the second half.
Goals by Joel Stone and Mana Yawngtun, the latter deep into stoppage time, gave the home side the precious 3 points to out them only 5 points adrift of fourth-placed Devonport.
It was South Hobart's first league defeat of the season.
Riverside Olympic, without striker Emanuel Farias, who has returned to Sydney, took the lead away to Clarence Zebras at Wentworth Park in the 12th minute when a long-range lob from James Pelletier came down on top of the crossbar, leaving keeper Manuel Hennicke helpless. The ball rebounded into play and fell to Matias Rodriguez, who slammed the ball home with an acrobatic sideways scissors kick from just inside the penalty area on the right.
Early in the second half, Clarence Zebras conceded a penalty which was expertly converted by Gediminas Krusa to make it 2-0 for the visitors.
Persistence and bravery by Kyle Vincent enable him to pull a goal back for the home side 2 minutes from the end, but there was no time for Clarence Zebras to salvage a draw.
With the exception of the Launceston United versus Riverside Olympic game on Friday night, there are no other NPL games this weekend.
The NPL were scheduled to have a break this weekend in case any catch-up games were required.
And, with a prominent NPL coach and some players involved at the National Youth Championships in Wollongong, I suppose it is a timely break.
NPL Tasmania
Clarence Zebras 1 (Kyle Vincent 88’) lost to Riverside Olympic 2 (Matias Rodriguez 12’, Gediminas Krusa 51’ pen)
Glenorchy Knights 4 (Stefan Cordwell 7’ 28’, Joshua Redfearn 45’+1, Thomas Walpole 67’) beat Devonport 0
Launceston City 4 (Thierry Swaby 18’, 66’, Joel Stone 72’, Mana Yawngtun 90’+3) beat South Hobart 2 (Nick Morton 12’, Alex Walter 42’)
Launceston United 0 lost to Kingborough Lions United 6 (Alex Brown 41’, Keenan Douce 46’, Kobe Kemp 46’, Noah Mies 51’, 63’, Eli Wright 60’)
NPL Tasmania Standings (As at 13 July 2024)
|
TEAM |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
Pts |
|
Glenorchy Knights |
14 |
9 |
4 |
1 |
57 |
16 |
31 |
|
South Hobart |
14 |
8 |
5 |
1 |
37 |
20 |
29 |
|
Kingborough Lions |
14 |
8 |
3 |
3 |
48 |
28 |
27 |
|
Devonport City |
14 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
35 |
17 |
26 |
|
Launceston City |
14 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
26 |
20 |
21 |
|
Clarence Zebras |
14 |
3 |
1 |
10 |
23 |
36 |
10 |
|
Riverside Olympic |
13 |
3 |
1 |
9 |
18 |
48 |
10 |
|
Launceston United |
13 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
9 |
68 |
0 |
3 comments:
Why Port let Denehy take a penalty is beyond me too Walter. He is not the player he was in previous years. Miles is to old these days. They are better to go with youth as this season is gone. The team looks slow this year compared to previous years. Their backline is all over the place. I do fear for the competition as if Port aren’t pushing the top four or slide below I could see the state league collapse. No one would want to travel 3 hours to lose. Like what’s happened with the Tas AFL state league. We will be back to regional again within 3 years
Don’t write off the strikers just yet. They have had an excellent core of local players for quite a few years bolstered by excellent imports. Now some of the locals have retired, moved on or Father Time has caught up with them and their imports have not been as good as in the past. These things can be cyclical, they have been on top for a long time. They are not going to disappear, they may not win as many trophies as previous years but they are not going to wither and die.
Your last photograph of the Knights young keeper is a great action shot Walter. I think as the season has gone on and the Knights coach has shown confidence in him he has improved very well. He is obviously very young and it must be daunting for some one so young to play in such an important position, faith has been shown in him. He had made a few errors in earlier rounds but has grown in confidence and so have his team mates around him in his abilities. If he can grow a few centimetres and put on a few kilos and some muscle he will have a long career in front of the sticks. On ya Gus.
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