Keilor Park beat Glenorchy Knights 3-0

Photo:  Keilor's packed defence against Knights [PlessPix]

Keilor Park, the visiting Victorian State League 1 side, beat Glenorchy Knights 3-0 in a pre-season friendly at KGV Park tonight.

The game started 20 minutes late because an airline delay meant the Victorians were late to the ground.

The attendance of a couple of hundred was reasonable, but Football Federation Tasmania will need to take urgent action in relation to the closed grandstand.

There are, apparently, safety issues surrounding the grandstand and it has been closed to spectators for a couple of weeks now, although the dressing rooms for the teams are still open.

The first round of the NPL Tasmania competition involves a triple-header at KGV Park and something will have to be done about the grandstand before that as there is little alternative shelter available for patrons.

Photo:  Keilor's Goran Jozeljic (left) takes on Knights' George Hallard [PlessPix]

Goran Jozeljic, who began his career in Tasmania with Glenorchy Knights, put Keilor ahead after 7 minutes.

Adrian Barresi made it 2-0 for the visitors 8 minutes after the resumption, while David Prosia grabbed Keilor’s third 6 minutes from the end.

The Knights were better than the scoreline suggested and Rowan Heggie was always a threat up front.

He should have had at least a couple of goals, including near the end when he was thwarted by a brave interception from the Keilor goalkeeper.

Jozeljic was the pick of the visitors, while Jade Clay was busy for the Knights when he came on and Mathew Nowicki always posed a physical threat.

Photo:  Knights' Rowan Heggie (left) under pressure from Keilor's Dean Compelj [PlessPix]

Knights keeper Trent Le Rossignol also had a good game and made several important saves.

Paul Falzon, coach of Keilor, was content with his team’s display.

“I thought it was a very good game and the standard was pretty good,” Falzon said.

“I thought the pace of the game was also very good.

“We were very happy with our first competitive game and Glenorchy gave us a really good one.

“They were well drilled and it all worked out fine.”

Photo:  Goran Jozeljic (left) gives Knights' Teddy Kadisha a run for his money [PlessPix]

Glenorchy Knights coach, James Sherman, said his side were better than the score-line indicated.

“We definitely created some opportunities that, realistically, we should have put away,” Sherman said.

“It was a good hit-out because they offered us plenty of challenges and I thought we dealt with quite a lot of them.

“I was happy with a few good performances because we were missing quite a few players tonight, but I’m very lucky to have the squad depth that I do.

“The handful of guys that came in probably didn’t expect to do as well, but they have done.

“That’s the major positive for myself.

“It’s another 90 minutes for a handful of them, too, and that’s always a bonus.

“We’re a little bit off where I’d like to be and we have a lot of work to do.”

Photo:  Goran Jozeljic (No.20) sends a Knights opponent tumbling [PlessPix]

Goran Jozeljic was delighted to open the scoring against his former club and ran to the side of the pitch to embrace his former mentor and Glenorchy Knights star striker of yesteryear, Brendon Lakoseljac.

“It was a good hit-out, especially for us in only our third week into pre-season,” Jozeljic said.

“There was some good physicality out there, which is good for us.

“Knights played well in patches, especially in the first half hour and outplayed us a bit.

“But, we got a positive result out of it.

“It’s always good scoring, but when it’s against your old club it means a lot to me.

“A goal is a goal and in the end you’ve got to do the things you’re out there for.”

Photo:  Knights' Rowan Heggie (No.9) heads clear [PlessPix]

Glenorchy Knights:  Trent Le Rossignol;  Aaron Marney, Alex Bellini, Tyler Harrison, Declan Graham, Matt Nowicki, Jack Kupsch, Nick Naden, Teddy Kadisha, Goeroge Hallard, Rowan Heggie  (Subs:  Lachie Hart, Nic Devereaux, Ganyar Mangar, Phil Chasri, Jade Clay, Luke Warrener)

Keilor Park SC:  Mark Spiteri, Brandon Scerri, Douglas Cunnison, Dean Campelj, Joel Pilcher, David Prosia, Okada Kazuki, Patrick Grigg, Goran Jozeljic, Harry Hillary, Adrian Barresi  (Subs:  Carmine De Fazio, Malik Furlong, Mathew Sirgiouanni, Joel Grech, James Johnston)

Photo:  Knights' Mathew Nowicki (left) takes on Keilor's Douglas Cunnison [PlessPix]

Photo (L-R):  Bradley Lakoseljac, Goran Jozeljic and Brendan Lakoseljac after the game [PlessPix]

Keilor Park FC are in town this weekend

Glenorchy Knights host Victorian State League side Keilor Park FC today at KGV Park at 7.45pm in a pre-season friendly.

On Saturday, the Victorians will be in action against Olympia Warriors at Warrior Park at 3pm.

Keilor Park FC were formed in 1957 by Austrian migrants and their first ground was at Elwood.

The club moved to Keilor Park in 1972.

Keilor Park FC have more than 550 registered players in 38 teams ranging from under-7s to senior male and female teams.

Keilor Park is also the home of NPL Women’s side Calder United SC.

Keilor Park FC are in the Victorian State League 1 competition and finished fourth last season.

The club regularly go on interstate pre-season trips and are looking forward to playing in Tasmania, where Calder United SC women’s side have been warmly welcomed twice in recent times.

The club said it would welcome visits from Tasmanian clubs in the future.

Former Tasmanian Goran Jozjelic plays for Keilor Park FC and is relishing the prospect of playing in front of fans of his former club, Glenorchy Knights.

This will be a good test for the Knights as they prepare to return to the NPL Tasmania competition after three seasons in the ‘wilderness’ of the Southern Championship.

Other pre-season friendlies scheduled for this long weekend are:

Saturday, 9 February 2019

Olympia Warriors v Hobart Zebras (Challenge League), 12.30pm, Warrior Park.

Devonport v Riverside (Northern Under-21s),  Valley Road, 12.30pm.

Devonport City v Riverside Olympic (NPL Tasmania), Valley Road, 2pm

Launceston City v South Hobart (NPL Tasmania), St Patrick’s College, 2pm.

Sunday, 10 February 2019

Nelson v Northern Rangers (Championship), Wentworth Park, 2pm.

Monday, 11 February 2019

Kingborough Lions United v Hobart Zebras (NPL Tasmania), Lightwood Park, 7pm.

Zebras toy with Clarence and then destroy them

Photo:  Zebras' Lachie Burt has a dig at goal [PlessPix]

Hobart Zebras made light work of Clarence United in their pre-season friendly at KGV Park tonight, running out 9-0 winners.

Zebras dominated possession and used long diagonal balls to the wings to open up the Clarence defence.

The Zebras fullbacks, Riley Dillon and Ryu Yonezawa, were able to push forward at will and increase the pressure on their opponents.

Indeed, Dillon opened the scoring for Zebras on the quarter-hour with an excellent dipping free-kick from the edge of the box.

His pass then set up Jordan Muller for Zebras’ second in the 27^th minute.

Photo:  Clarence's Sam Cannamela and Zebras' Ryu Yonezawa go for the ball [PlessPix]

On the half-hour, Matthew Pace made it 3-0 from James Ackerley’s right-wing cross.

Dillon netted his second goal and Zebras’ fourth in the 33^rd minute.

It was Dillon’s corner that led to Zebras’ fifth goal on the half-hour.  Centre-backs Jan Charuza and Luke Bighin, who were often left alone at the back as their fullbacks pressed high, came up for the corner and Charuza’s first touch enabled Bighin to help the ball into the net from close range.

The second half was just as bad for a Clarence outfit that had Adam Hedge back at centre-forward.

Photo:  Clarence's Adam Hedge (left) challenges Zebras' Luke Bighin [PlessPix]

Sam Cannamela also played for Clarence after an absence of five or so years and he battled hard in midfield for the 90 minutes.

Zebras brought on substitute Luke Huigsloot for the second half and he bagged a hat-trick to announce his presence.

Huigsloot headed Zebras’ sixth goal within 3 minutes of the restart after Dillon’s corner.

In the 56^th minute, substitute Adam McKeown was unable to bring a difficult ball played high into the box under control, but a touch forced it to Huigsloot, who took his tally to two goals and made it 7-0 for Zebras.

Photo:  Zebras' skipper Jayden Hey shields the ball from Clarence midfielder Sam Cannamela [PlessPix]

McKeown, who is coming back after a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered last season, was almost cut in half at one stage by a tackle from Liam Marsh.

Mckeown survived and, later in the game, returned the favour but received a yellow card for his tackle on Marsh.

McKeown got on the score-sheet in the 72^nd minute when he finished clinically from close range on the left to make it 8-0.

Photo:  Zebras' signing from Box Hill in Victoria, Nicky Edwards (left), cuts in towards goal [PlessPix]

A minute later, Huigsloot completed his hat-trick and made the final score 9-0.

In the closing minutes, Clarence did create a couple of half-chances, but they were unable to make the most of them.

Zebras might easily have doubled their tally.

In the first half, they were repeatedly caught off-side, while in the second half, they also fell foul of the off-side flag but also squandered excellent chances by blazing high over the bar or wide.

Clarence can be thankful that it was only 9-0.

Photo:  Clarence keeper Jake French makes a save against his former club [PlessPix]

Photo:  Zebras' Luke Huigsloot and Clarence's Chris Kannegiesser seem mesmerised by the ball [PlessPix]

Photo:  Jordan Muller receives the congratulations of his team-mates after scoring [PlessPix]

Will Zebras toy with Clarence tonight, or destroy them?

Photo:  Zebras coach David Smith gesticulates to his players.  Will he order them to go for goals tonight, or to concentrate on possession play? [PlessPix]
 
Hobart Zebras take on Clarence United at 7.30pm at KGV Park today in an all-NPL Tasmania pre-season friendly.

Zebras will be without fullback Dwayne Walsh, who has an ankle injury, and Mathew Sanders, who will not fly over from Victoria for this game.

Japanese utility player Ryu Yonezawa will play for Zebras.

He has been playing on the Gold Coast for three or four years and tried out with Zebras late last year in some practice games.

He has secured a place at university in Tasmania and will sign for Zebras for the coming season.

Clarence United will be missing Paul Palmer and Jeremy Price and will have no back-up goalkeepers.  Former Zebras keeper Jake French will be in goal.

“We’ll have 15 or 16 players in our squad and we’ll be working on the type of formation we’re trying to play,” said Zebras coach, David Smith.

“We’ve got this game tonight and then we’ve got another one on Monday night against Kingborough and that’ll give us a bit of an opportunity to try and gel and get things together with three weeks to go before the season starts.

“We had Thomas Little training with us, but he’s gone to Kingborough because they offered him a starting-eleven spot, which I couldn’t.

“He would have been good value to us as he’s a good young kid, but these things happen.

“Realistically, we’ve just had two weeks training and we haven’t played for two weeks so we’ll just line up pretty much the same as we did against Olympia, with the smaller boys up front and with a bit of pace and just see what happens.”

Photo:  Matthew Pace (left) is quick by name and nature.  He has the speed to destroy the Clarence defence tonight. [PlessPix]

Clarence coach Warren Burt said he would again experiment with players in different positions and he would field a young team.

“We’ll be trying players in different positions and trying to get the structure right,” Burt said.

“There’s still a big task ahead of us.

“We’re still looking to recruit some senior players and we’ve got some players coming either just before the season starts or just after.

“I think if we can get everyone on the field we’ll be more competitive.

“We’ll be out to play normal attacking football tonight and playing in the patterns we’re trying to develop.”

Photo:  Let's hope Clarence coach Warren Burt is pointing to someone on the field and not to that unlucky number [PlessPix]