NPL title is South Hobart's to lose

Photo:  Captain Kieran Mulraney led by example on Saturday and scored twice for Devonport City against Riverside Olympic. [PlessPix] 

The 2024 NPL Tasmania title is South Hobart’s to lose.

South Hobart beat leaders Glenorchy Knights 3-1 away at KGV Park on Friday night to move a point clear of the Knights at the top with just three games remaining.

South have to play third-placed Devonport City at home, sixth-ranked Riverside Olympic at home, and fifth-placed Launceston City at home to complete their season.

If they win all three games, they will be champions for the first time since 2017.

Glenorchy Knights, who won the title in 2012 on the final day of the season, must face fourth-placed Kingborough Lions United at home, second-last Clarence Zebras away, and reigning champions Devonport City at home to complete their campaign.

It is looking like an exciting finale to this season’s title race.

South Hobart tactically trumped the Knights on Friday night, which is a credit to their players but also to the plans of coach Ken Morton.

Morton played the excellent Jacob Lancaster in his former role of central defender rather than in midfield, and he used striker Alex Walter from the start.

Lancaster and Japanese centre-back Musashi Kokubo survived a torrid first half and totally dominated the second half.  Aided by fullbacks Adam Gorrie and Tobias Herweynen, they proved impenetrable in the second half and ensured South Hobart of victory.

The Knights were less predictable when building up from the back as Tyler Harrison and Jack Glover overcame their recent tendency to play the ball endlessly square across the back to each other while looking for openings.  Instead, they opted for the long ball forward which put South under pressure.

But, the Knights fell down after that, pumping endless long balls into the air and into the South Hobart penalty area, which were cleared by resolute defending in the air and on the ground.

When Knights tried to shoot low, the South Hobart defence kept them at a distance and was like a brick wall, always blocking the shots and clearing to launch their own attacks.

Knights seemed incapable of varying their attacking thrusts and played into the hands of the visitors.

Knights had shown South’s defensive vulnerabilities in the first half by often getting behind the defence and cutting the ball back into the middle and they might easily have scored more than one goal but for poor finishing.

Photo:  Josh Cauteruccio scored for the Knights against South Hobart. [PlessPix]

One such move midway through the first half hit pay dirt.  Thomas Walpole made ground down the left and under severe pressure still managed to cut the ball inside for Josh Cauteruccio to fire home and give the home side the lead.

Knights’ inability to extend that lead was to cost them.

Just before the interval, one of their former players, Austin Yost, equalised with a powerful low drive inside the left-hand post.

Photo:  Alex Walter, who has played for both South Hobart and Knights and who returned to Tasmania from Victoria this year, scored twice for South Hobart against the Knights. [PlessPix]

The second half was barely two minutes old when another of their former players, Alex Walter, netted to give South Hobart a 2-1 lead.

The Knights’ inflexibility in attack from then on made their task very difficult but it took until stoppage time for Walter to complete his brace and seal an important victory.

Devonport City kept alive their title hopes by downing Riverside Olympic 3-0 at Valley Road.

Captain Kieran Mulraney led by example and showed his players the way, heading two excellent goals to destroy the visitors.

Brody Denehey had started the ball rolling with the opening goal just before the quarter-of-an-hour mark.

Just when one thought Clarence Zebras could not sink any lower, they plumbed the depths by losing 3-1 away to bottom-side Launceston United at Birch Avenue.

United hadn’t won a point all year but suddenly collected three against a side that lacked any ideas and produced an abysmal standard of football.

Kyle Vincent, a dangerous striker on his day, started on the bench for Clarence Zebras, but, when he did come on during the second half, lasted just 17 minutes before leaving the arena because of injury.

The visitors were atrocious.  They gave the ball away easily and when not under pressure, and they passed when they should have shot.  On the rare occasions that they did shoot, it was usually wildly off-target.

There were a few controversial off-side, handball and penalty decisions for both sides, too, but the fact remains that Launceston United won 3-1.

Photo:  Clarence Zebras captain Josh Mathie equalised against Launceston United. [PlessPix]

Kingsley Eshun put them in front after 19 minutes, but Clarence Zebras captain Josh Mathie equalised midway through the first half.

Former Hobart Juventus player Luke Warrener put United ahead 11 minutes from the end after coming on as a substitute.

Clarence Zebras threw everything into attack in the closing minutes and even goalkeeper Jake Hayers came up for a corner.  He was caught out, however, with Launceston United gaining possession and launching a quick counter-attack and scoring a third into an unguarded net through Eshun.

It must have been a miserable trip home to Hobart by the visitors.

In the remaining game of the round, Kingborough Lions United again disappointed their fans  -  the attendance at the Den looked miniscule  -  by losing 2-1 to Launceston City, who were 9 points adrift of the Lions at the start of the game.

Former Launceston City striker Noah Mies fired the Lions in front in the 37^th minute, but City’s central defender William Humphrey equalised 4 minutes before the interval.

City’s main attacking weapon, Thierry Swaby, hit the visitors’ winner a minute before the end of regulation time to almost certainly condemn the Lions to a fourth-placed finish.

NPL Tasmania

Glenorchy Knights 1 (Josh Cauteruccio 23’) lost to South Hobart 3 (Austin Yost 42’, Alex Walter 47’, 92’)

Launceston United 3 (Kingsley Eshun 19’, 90’+2, Luke Warrener 79’) beat Clarence Zebras 1 (Joshua Mathie 23’)

Devonport City 3 (Brody Denehey 14’, Kieran Mulraney 40’, 91’)-0 Riverside Olympic

Kingborough Lions United 1 (Noah Mies 37’) lost to Launceston City 2 (William Humphrey 41’, Thierry Swaby 89’)

NPL Tasmania Standings (As at 17 August 2024)

TEAM	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
South Hobart	18	12	5	1	56	25	41
Glenorchy Knights	18	12	4	2	74	21	40
Devonport City	18	11	5	2	45	17	38
Kingborough Lions	18	10	3	5	57	34	33
Launceston City	18	8	3	7	32	29	27
Riverside Olympic	18	4	1	13	24	61	13
Clarence Zebras	18	3	1	14	25	54	10
Launceston United	18	1	0	17	15	93	3