2019 Lakoseljac Cup Final Preview

It's Time For Round 3

The 2019 Lakoseljac Cup Final will pit the Devonport Strikers up against South Hobart for the third time in four seasons when they meet on Monday. The two sides have been the dominant forces in Tasmanian Football in recent years, sharing four of the last five Lakoseljac Cups between them, with Devonport winning both finals in which they have played against South. In 2016, it was a single goal from now South Hobart player, Adam Gorrie who scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win, before last year in 2018 it was again a 1-0 margin in the final, with Miles Barnard the goalscorer and Lazcano man of the match. So the games have not been goal fests, but both tight and tense affairs with the Strikers edging them. On Monday it's time for Round 3, and everything is pointing towards another extremely close and hard fought affair. [caption id="attachment_7483" align="alignnone" width="620"] Barnard buries the 2018 Cup Winner- Solstice Photography[/caption]

Last Time Around

The teams have met once this year, clashing at Darcy Street and finishing with that familiar final score. That was also a 1-0 Strikers win with Miles Barnard the scorer, bobbing up in the 75th minute in half South dominated in. South certainy had the better of the majority of the game, granted wind did play a role in that, but they should never have been shut out given some of the chances they produced. The hero that day was Strikers goalkeeper Nathan Pitchford who produced a masterclass in goals. There is no doubt South had the better of the game, but they couldn't solve the Strikers, and arguably the States #1 keeper, which brings me to the positional breakdown of the two competing sides.

The Goalkeepers

This is an area the Strikers will have the edge in. In Nathan Pitchford they have the best performing goalkeeper in the State over the past couple of seasons. His command of the penalty area is impressive and his display at Darcy Street earlier this year underlined his supreme value to the side. With lightning reflexes and a physically strong build, he is the type of player who can steal you a game, and look for him to really dominate his penalty area. Not that South's goalkeeping is a weakness by any means, but the position is not settled. Graham Wright was favoured in net ahead of Kieran Brown for the Semi Final against Olympia and he put in a stellar display, which surely gives him the inside track for the start on Monday. Brown is the better shot stopper of the two, but Wright offers more command in the air dealing with crosses. There is no doubt Morton was concerned about the in-swinging corners of Jordan Scott causing problems in the Semi Final, hence his decision to go for Wright. With Devonport such a strong and physically well built side, it may well lead to him giving Wright the nod again. [caption id="attachment_11826" align="alignnone" width="621"] Pitchford is widely regarded as the State #1 keeper- Solstice Photography[/caption]

The Defences

Both teams have been pretty miserly in what they've conceded this season, with Devonport boasting the best defensive record in the state with just 12 goals against in 15 games. South have been solid too and just allowed 18 in 14 games, though perhaps of some concern will be that they have shipped 9 of those goals in their past 3 league games. It should be noted that they didn't lose any of those games though, winning 2 and drawing 1. So that confirms what the eye test indicates: if this is a wide open affair, flowing from end to end, and is free scoring, it will favour South. Whilst if it's in the mould of the past two cup finals with scoring at a premium, and the physical, aerial battles the order of the day, then that favours the Strikers. This lines up with the personnel in the respective defences. South certainly have the more attack minded full backs in Adam Gorrie and Toby Herweynen. Gorrie is such an offensive threat that at times South have not even bothered with a right winger, instead allowing him to storm up and down the right. He is probably the most attack minded defender in the NPL and has been regularly at the top of the assist charts as a result. Herweynen is also not shy about getting forwards, and using the full width of the pitch and having those full backs overlapping is such a crucial way to the way South go about it. With Eddie Bidwell's move up onto the wing this season, Connor Parke and Dom Smith have been the preferred full backs for the Strikers and whilst both are capable of getting forward like their South Hobart counterparts, they're both slightly more defensive minded. Physically they are built more like centre backs, and whilst they don't offer quite as much going forwards, they are both very strong in the air which makes crosses and aerial balls a sub optimal strategy for attacking the Strikers defence. Both the full back options are very composed and good decision makers, and will need to be at their best given South's proclivity to attacking from wide areas. [caption id="attachment_11823" align="alignnone" width="620"] Adam Gorrie scored the cup winner that sunk South back in 2016- Solstice Photography[/caption] In the middle of the defence there is plenty of experience on both sides and they don't come any more experienced on the big stage than Hugh Ludford. The South veteran is about to line up in his eight Lakoseljac Cup Final, and his experience will be vital to what is a fairly youthful side. Partnering him will be The Giraffe, Oscar Thomas, who will be vital if the Strikers opt to start Miles Barnard in attack. Thomas is dominant in the air, using his tall frame to win the vast majority of his aerial duels and having had to sit an exam whilst his side was felled in the 2018 decider, will be eager to get out there this year and make his mark. The Strikers haven't looked quite as solid at the back since the departure of the brilliant Guillermo Lazcano. He was the player of the final in 2018 and in their most recent match against South, he was almost as important as Pitchford in sneaking the win. His replacement is the Canadian Raph Reynolds, who hasn't quite matched the heights he reached in 2017, but remains a classy operator who is very comfortable on the ball and important in the way they play out. Captain Kieran Mulraney rounds out the defence and he would be a nailed on starter in any team of the season to date. A courageous defender who puts his head, and body on the line every week, Mulraney is the type of Captain you want in a side leading by example. He has even started adding goals to his repertoire! [caption id="attachment_11825" align="alignnone" width="620"] Mulraney leads from the front- Solstice Photography[/caption]

The Midfield Battle

The engine room is so often where these games are won and lost, so unsurprisingly it looms as a key to Monday's game. South's expected midfield make up is quite different to what they had drawn up over preseason. Injuries have ruled out Declan Foley and Gilly De Souza, whilst Jack Turner has left the club and yet they've still landed on a quality trio that works for them. Loic Feral is having his best season in a few years, his class stamped on this side as he sits in front of the back four as the deepest lying of the midfielders. There is little flash to the Frenchmen's game, but he is a highly efficient and intelligent player who breaks up so many of the opposition attacks. That then gives licence to Nick Morton and Bradley Lakoseljac to drive forward. Morton is the key goal threat, a danger from distance and a player who loves the big occasion. South need him to stand up and be the game breaker he can be if they are to hoist the cup. Bradley Lakoseljac has been a recent addition and performed strongly. Monday is obviously a huge occasion for the young man, an emotional day to be sure and he will look to channel that into another strong performance. Despite his youth, he is strongly built and makes very sound decisions on the ball. [caption id="attachment_11200" align="alignnone" width="621"] Loic Feral has been crucial for South this year- Solstice Photography[/caption] The make up of the Strikers midfield could go a couple of ways, with 9/10 of the 11 starters highly likely, but the last couple subject to how Coghlan opts to approach the game. Todd Hingston has been out with injury recently but is now available for selection and could well start as the deepest of the midfielders. Daniel Syson is probably the other candidate for that role, though he has been tremendously effective in a more attacking role, offering a major goal threat. Who Coghlan starts as the central Striker will determine the midfield. If you assume Bidwell and Fitzgerald are nailed on to start out wide, then that leaves 4 places for Hingston, Syson, Stone, Giampaoli and Barnard. Given his penchant for goals in big games, Barnard is surely likely to lead the line, but they could potentially opt to try and stretch the South defence with pace on the bigger pitch, by playing the fleet footed Argentine Giampaoli up top. He and Stone are quite capable playing that false #9 role and that would then allow Hingston to take up his place in midfield. Whether he plays deeper or pushes up higher, the man South need to stop is the mercurial Joel Stone. He has scored some truly stunning goals in recent weeks and has been one of the players of the season. His swagger, bag of tricks and ability to beat a man make him such an eye catching player and Loic Feral will surely be watching him like a hawk, or perhaps in his case Falcon. https://youtu.be/6FD0qt1t1H0

The Front Men

If there is one area that remains a question mark on the Strikers it's possibly in attack. Replacing Brayden Mann and Michael Holden's goal output was always going to be tough; that was over 50 goals that left the side. But whilst nobody has emerged as a dominant goalscorer in their stead, the Strikers have done a nice job sharing the goal scoring load around. In their cup run, they have 5 goals from their 3 games coming from 5 different individual goalscorers. Their leading scorer is a four way tie on 6 goals, between Fitzgerald, Bidwell, Barnard and Giampaolli, with Stone and Syson just behind on 4 goals. So whilst they lack someone who is a regular source of goals, they don't lack for avenues or goal threats in the side. The biggest goal threat probably comes from Miles Barnard, who has been the one who has so often bobbed up on the big occasions in the past 18 months. He offers the side a physical outlet that nobody else does and is just such an effective player to deploy up top. Max Fitzgerald has undoubtedly been the star man in attack for Devonport though. When his side has lacked for inspiration or needed a goal it has been the lightning winger who has so delivered the strike or created the chance. He looms as the most likely game breaker and his match up with Adam Gorrie will be great to watch, they are two players who just don't stop running. He will interchange on the flanks with Eddie Bidwell whose move up into attack has been a big success. His defensive attributes make him particularly adept at pressing, and he is a tremendous 2 way player. [caption id="attachment_11824" align="alignnone" width="619"] Max Fitzgerald has been dynamic on the wing- Solstice Photography[/caption] South Hobart meanwhile have clicked in attack ever since being shut out by Devonport back in the first week of April. Since that game they have scored 30 goals in 7 games and that's not slanted by one particular blowout win. They've consistently scored heavily, firing in 5,3,5,4,5,3 and 5 goals in those fixtures. A big reason for that success has been the form of Benjamin Hamlett. He has 11 goals in his last 7 starts including a simply brilliant hat-trick against Olympia in the Semi Final. After a series of injuries had seemingly derailed his career, Hamlett is back playing as good football as he ever has. He is relentless in his work rate, constantly harrying and harassing off the ball whilst his sharp movement in the box and clinical finishing make him a nightmare for defenders to deal with. He will likely be flanked by Isky Van Doorne and Sam Berezansky. The Canadian is nailed on to start on one flank and after a sluggish start to his return to Tasmania, the Calgary Flyer is starting to loom as a major weapon again. His quick feet and eye for goal have been a feature in this recent offensive explosion at Darcy Street. The other wing spot would probably be Darcy Hall's were he fit, but he is probably only going to be match fit enough for a bench cameo. That gives another chance to the prodigiously talented 16 year old Berezansky who has taken his chance with aplomb and he got on the score sheet in the semi final. What he lacks in physical stature, Berezansky makes up with skill and smarts, with another option the explosive Kasper Hallam, though his pace is probably more suited to an impact substitute role. Alex Walter remains injured and will play no part. https://youtu.be/lVYy7sZqSgc

The Lure of the FFA Cup

With the FFA Cup Round of 32 place on the line, the stakes simply couldn’t be higher for Round 3 of these South v Strikers deciders. South are desperate to return to the National stage of the FFA Cup, having played in it back in 2015 and 2016, losing on penalties on both occasions. Since then the Strikers have gone on to win 2 games in the competition, famously beating the Lambton Jaffas in a Monsoon at Valley Road in 2016, before travelling over to Melbourne to knock off Northcote City last season. The Cup is such an allure for everyone, the national exposure it brings can really put a club on the map. It's also a tremendous chance for players to show their wares at a higher level. Certainly Michael Holden's showing in the FFA Cup last season was a big reason he generated such interstate interest. Some clubs have openly said they would rather win the Cup  than the league, that's a pretty powerful statement and is largely down to the pull of playing in the competition. Ask anyone who has been involved in these games, the enormity is not lost on them. It's something South have targeted this season according to Nick Morton. "Having an entry into a national competition like the FFA Cup is unbelievable and I think as a player, playing locally that is where you want to be playing, showcasing your skills talents, and young players on that stage, its a fantastic competition and something we are striving to be on. Everyone wants to be on that stage." Yet not everyone on the winning side may get to be on that stage, with Adam Gorrie and Max Fitzgerald both entering this game on 2 yellow cards in the Lakoseljac Cup. So if they were to pick up a third in the final then they would miss the FFA Cup Round of 32 game. The two will likely be matched up on each other, and whilst they tend to play with a frenetic energy that can lead to some Cheese worthy challenges, they must avoid doing anything silly. It would be just short of the Kane Pierce tier, were either to miss a game like that, for say kicking a ball away. [caption id="attachment_8467" align="alignnone" width="621"] The Strikers celebrate a goal in last years FFA Cup- Solstice Photography[/caption]

What The Coaches Said

Ken Morton "Cup Final week is a big week for the Football club, we are all excited its just around the corner now." We've trained pretty well this week, I was a little concerned as I gave them a good break after our last game against Olympia but we've had a few injuries and knocks and that's given those guys the chance to recover a little, and to be fair to the lads they've trained really well. "It's time we were back in the FFA Cup, so we have to win this game to do that. We have the Lakoseljac family as part of our football club, so its a huge occasion for the family and for our club. So we do really want to win this one, because it is a special occasion." "Without a doubt this is where want to be as a Football Club we are always looking to open doors for our young players to play on the biggest stage." "We want to go out there and enjoy ourselves, we will ask the players to go out and attack them, and to be positive, go forwards with energy and spirit. It's a great occasion and we should enjoy that occasion. If we play our best football, we will give them a good run for their money." "I think this game will be a little more open (than the league game) They will want to play, they will want to attack too so we will enjoy that and have a good at them." [caption id="attachment_11828" align="alignnone" width="620"] Morton has won five Lakoseljac Cup's at South- Solstice Photography[/caption] Rick Coghlan With some big changes in personnel with some key players departing the club at the start of the season, to rebuild and bring some new fresh blood in, and to then reach this stage were really pleased with that." "We've worked extremely hard for about 7 months now, through the preseason. We really worked a lot on how we would adapt our game with the new personnel.. there has been some big changes but we've had a great buy in from the players, staff and the club culture itself is fantastic." "There is a lot of excitement in the group and it is the main feeling among the team as they just want to get on the field on Monday," "Cup finals only come around once a year and it is very exciting for the boys, especially ones that are new to the group. "To get to this stage is a great achievement for our playing group and is especially exciting for the new ones coming in, because they haven't been on this stage or or have been close to the FFA Cup, which is a huge carrot for us." "We are confident going up against any opposition out there and we have worked really hard for a long time now. "Taking nothing away from South Hobart, they are going to be strong competition for us come Monday afternoon, but we are fully confident of what we can achieve if we turn up on the day." [caption id="attachment_11829" align="alignnone" width="619"] Coghlan has had a highly successful first season in charge- Solstice Photography[/caption]

Cometh the hour, cometh the Mann?

It would appear that Brayden Mann has re-signed with the Strikers, and just happens to have returned to the state this weekend. For what its worth the Strikers are refuting suggestions he is set to play a role, but they don't have to confirm a thing till the team sheets are handed in 30 minutes before kick off. He was in their named squad online as of Saturday, but is that pure mind games? Or are they set to spring the biggest Cup Final day selection shock since Danny Allsopp? Don't be shocked if he is, though I fancy Rick Coghlan would be reticent to parachute in a player who hasn't played in a considerable time or trained under him previously. He has been out of action for a long time with a back injury. Still, you could just see him sliding onto that Strikers bench come Monday, as a handy extra time option. Final teams will be intriguing come 3:00pm on Monday.  I don't expect he will play, but what a fascinating little side plot this has become.

Final Thoughts

I have been flip flopping on who I think will win this game all week, I've probably given 10 people 10 different answers. On form I think South are playing the better football of late, whilst on the whole Devonport have been the better side in 2019. I am a big believer that defence wins silverware, and South's has been a bit leaky lately, but Devonport have also looked less secure back there since Lazcano's departure. Cup Finals aren't known for being wide open affairs and that is the style of game South will surely want to make happen, but if they can't make that happen, how will they stand up if it becomes a real physical grind of a game? The Strikers certainly have the big game know how and the more experienced side and with the likes of Lakoseljac, Berezansky and Herweynen, South do have some younger, less experienced bodies out there that Devonport can look to physically impose themselves against. Ultimately though I am going to go with form over experience, and I just think South have been in the better touch of late. The Strikers ability to not perform at their best and still win is impressive, but just maybe all that travel will finally come back to sting them. So South to win 2-1 win in extra time, with Ben Hamlett to win the best on ground medal, and Darcy Hall  to score the winning goal off the bench. But as they say, predictions are a mugs game. Absolutely anything could happen on Monday at 3:30pm and you certainly don't want to miss it!

Match Details

LAKOSELJAC CUP FINAL Kick off: 3:30pm Referee: Stratos Plomaritis Assistants: Brenton Kopra and Nathan Coad 4^th Official: James Hamilton Where to Watch At KGV: Event Details Via the Live Stream Predicted Line Up's South Hobart