Photo: South Hobart's Kasper Hallam wheels away in delight after setting up a goal for team-mate Sam Berezansky [PlessPix]
Devonport City began the defence of their NPL
Tasmania title in familiar fashion.
They beat Launceston City 1-0 away through a 70th-minute
goal by new signing Nick Lanau-Atkinson.
What one must remember is that 21 1-0 victories
would ensure a side of the title, so I guess Devonport are at least on course.
If they ever reproduce the brilliant form that saw them demolish Glenorchy Knights 4-1 at KGV Park in the final league game of last season, they will be unstoppable.
South Hobart are top of the standings after the
opening round, however, on goal-difference after walloping Clarence Zebras 6-2
at South Hobart Oval in a rare but very welcome top-flight Sunday game.
Photo: Clarence Zebras' Lachie Burt wrong-foots South Hobart's Bradley Lakoseljac [PlessPix] Topping the standings after just one round is
pretty meaningless overall, however, so they won’t be uncorking the champagne
at South Hobart Oval yet.
Sam Tooze headed South Hobart in front from a left-wing
cross in the 12th minute. The
worrying thing for Clarence Zebras was that he had been left unmarked.
Matthew Pace almost equalised in the 36th
minute, but his sizzling low drive just passed on the wrong side of the far
left-hand post.
With a minute of the first half remaining,
Clarence Zebras drew level through a penalty, awarded for Jayden Hey’s foul on
Pace. Riley Dillon was untroubled in converting
the spot-kick and making it 1-1 at half-time.
Photo: Clarence Zebras' Dwayne Walsh takes on South Hobart's Lachlan Semmler [PlessPix] The second half was just 2 minutes old when
Kasper Hallam restored South Hobart’s lead when he collected a precise pass
from Sam Berezansky inside the box and beat keeper Joshua Jones.
In the 49th minute, Berezansky’s
cross enabled Nick Morton to make it 3-1.
Hallam crossed for Berezansky to score from
close range in the 61st minute and make it 4-1 before Pace scored the
goal of the game in the 63rd minute to put Clarence Zebras within
two goals of the home side. Pace waltzed
past four or five defenders with brilliant control before shooting into the
bottom far left-hand corner of the net.
Photo: Glenorchy Knights' Eli Luttmer on the attack against Olympia [PlessPix] That appeared to be the end result, but South
Hobart grabbed two goals in quick succession before the final whistle.
In the 90th minute, Hallam cut the
ball back from the left for Morton to score his second and South Hobart’s
fifth, while in the 3rd minute of stoppage time, right-back Lachlan
Semmler beat keeper Jones at his near post with a shot from the corner of the
box on the right to make it 6-2.
The game was characterised by poor defending by
Clarence Zebras which was punished mercilessly by an adventurous young South
Hobart outfit.
Photo: The Olympia defence clear a ball into the penalty area [PlessPix] Glenorchy Knights beat Olympia Warriors 1-0
through a 72nd-minute goal by Alex Walter.
Knights dominated proceedings, but Olympia had
a couple of decent chances that could have embarrassed the home side.
Kingborough Lions United went behind against
Riverside Olympic to a Tom Prince header in the 37th minute at home
at Lightwood Park, but Adam McKeown struck shortly after to make it 1-1 at the
interval.
Photo: Tom Prince heads Riverside Olympic into the lead against Kingborough Lions United [PlessPix] Four minutes after the resumption, a throw-in on
the left by Jack Turner was cleared to Keenan Douce, whose first-time
right-footed shot deceived the Riverside keeper and went under his body and
into the net to give the Lions the lead.
McKeown sealed the win near the end with his second
goal of the game. Kobe Kemp’s shot was
deflected high into the air and McKeown out-jumped a defender and impudently
back-headed the ball into the net without looking at the target to give the
home side a 3-1 win.
Photo: Kingborough's Jack Turner is slide-tackled by Riverside's Tom Prince [PlessPix]
