The Devonport Strikers have stormed to their biggest win in the NPL TAS this season, registering a massive 12-0 away win over Clarence United at Wentworth Park. The win came courtesy of a Miles Barnard eight goal haul, which broke the record for most goals scored by an individual player in an NPL TAS game, beating the prior mark of 7 set by Adam Mckeown.
The opening minute was a real indicator of things to come as Barnard wasted no time getting started. As he stormed down the wing, keeper Matthew Dyson ran out to clear, before Barnard calmly ran around him and shot from tightest angle. The ball rebounded off the left post and over the line with no keeper in sight for the Strikers first of the day.
In the 17th minute the Strikers scored again, this time via a corner. The delivery came from Joel Stone and his ball found Jack Dance who was lurking and tapped it into the bottom right corner of the net.
Three minutes and Eddie Bidwell would whip in a good low cross for Max Fitzgerald who made no mistake and tapped in another for the Striker's 3rd. It would not be the last time Bidwell would be provider in the game, as he racked up the assists.
The 29th minute was almost a duplicate goal of the second goal, as Stone sent in the cross from the corner ball and Dance would get his brace by heading home.
The only booking of the day came from Devonport defender Raphael Reynolds who took down Lachlan Burt outside the box and would earn himself a slice of cheese for his troubles in the 35th minute.
Soon after Joel Stone found himself in the box and took a shot that was saved away by Dyson, but who else would be there to pick up the crumbs but 'The Fox In The Box', Miles Barnard who tapped the ball in and scored the Strikers 5th. Barnard did go down in the process and said he had rolled his ankle, the Devonport players did look worried but he was told to run it off. Fair to say it didn’t impact his performance.
Max Fitzgerald was withdrawn in the 53rd minute in favor of Charles Bidwell. Fitzgerald was heavily bandaged and tapped up after the game, appeared in doubt for next week big clash back at Valley Road vs South Hobart, but coach Rick Coghlan said in post match that he will be fine and it was just a corky.
In the 61st minute Stone sent in another good ball from the right corner and that man again, Miles Barnard was there lying in wait, to head into the goals for his hat-trick.
Eddie Bidwell was once again on the assist sheet one minute later, as he whipped in a great low cross for Barnard who tapped in the ball right down the middle.
Very similar proceedings would follow in the 66th minute when Bidwell was storming down the wing again and took on two struggling defenders. His cross was launched in towards Barnard, and he didn't disappoint, firing into the left corner of the net.
It was all too easy for the Strikers and the same play happened yet again in the 70th minute. Bidwell crossed to the waiting Barnard and of course ‘The Fox’ finished his shot well into the right of goals, putting up his hands for his 6th of the game!
Bidwell would then switch roles from provider to goal scorer when he made a great run down the left wing skipping past a defender and got on his right boot and hit with power giving Dyson no chance to make it 10-0.
Bidwell then grabbed his sixth assist of the day when he provided another good cross to Barnard who tapped in.
He originally thought he had broken the record of most goals after this, but he soon got the signal from the crowd that he needed one more to own the record outright.
Sure enough in the final minute of the game, another ripping cross came in from Bidwell. Up rose Barnard who headed it home to break the record for the most goals scored by an individual player in an NPL TAS game.
Bidwell set his own record in the process, with his 7 assists the most since they’ve been recorded.
After the game, Clarence coach Warren Burt said "the result is devastating and a lot of the players did not show up today. The standout player was Sam Cannamela who kept going even when he had three players marking him, "we need to keep developing our current players, bring in some good young players and better sponsorship which will help us get better players in the long run"
Rick Coghlan praised his teams performance "at the start of the season we set our goals, some of those were records and we have done that today, Bidwell has been focusing on repetition in training and works tirelessly, he has gotten better and better.
Warren Burt Interview
[audio m4a="https://www.sliceofcheese.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Warren-Burt-22.6.m4a"][/audio]
Rick Coghlan Interview
[audio m4a="https://www.sliceofcheese.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Rick-Coghlan-22.6.m4a"][/audio]