North Hobart is set to host a pair of blockbuster NPL TAS clashes this ANZAC Day, as the league begins its second full round of fixtures. Now that everybody has played each other once we have a decent sample size to judge teams from, and that sample size points to what should be a cracking day of football at North Hobart on Thursday.
If the main takeaway from the opening 9 Rounds was that Devonport remains the team to beat, then Monday's lesson was that talented as the Strikers side is, they remain fallible. The Hobart Zebras win over the Strikers was a timely reminder of the fine margins that exist between the teams at the top and it has seen the top four condense with just 5 points now separating the sides.
Just look at the scores from when top four sides have played against each other this season to see how tight things have been. They read: Devonport 1-0 South Hobart, Hobart Zebras 2-1 Devonport, Devonport 1-0 Olympia, South Hobart 1-1 Hobart Zebras, South Hobart 1-2 Olympia and Hobart Zebras 1-1 Olympia
So every single game has had one goal in it or less at the final whistle! That is remarkably tight and to me underlines the relatively minor degrees of separation between them.
Glenorchy Knights sit five points further back in fifth place, but they have been decimated by injuries and one feels if they can get their best XI out on the park, then they belong in this same tier of sides. Thursday gives them another chance to show that is where we should be viewing them, despite the results not quite flowing just yet.
They will open up the day by meeting Olympia for the second time in the space of a week at 1:00pm. Having met on Friday in the Lakoseljac Cup on the smallest pitch in the league, they now move onto the biggest in the form of North Hobart Oval. The Knights certainly don't lack for speed in attack and their attackers will likely enjoy the extra room in which to manoeuvre, however the bigger pitch arguably suits the Warriors a lot more than their home base of Warrior Park does. Certainly they have more experience on the North Hobart surface than the Knights, playing there as recently as Round 5 against the Zebras. That was the last time they dropped any points in, winning five straight since then, including Friday night to surge up into second place in the league and book their spot in the Cup Quarter finals. They will be without the suspended Jordan Scott, which hurts their chances but having beaten Knights twice this season they should be filled with confidence.
[caption id="attachment_9888" align="alignnone" width="551"]
The Warriors will be without Jordan Scott-Solstice Photography[/caption]
Second up at 3:15pm, South Hobart take on Hobart Zebras in a battle of 3rd v 4th. They played out a 1-1 draw at Darcy Street earlier this season and this looms as another tight one. The Zebras are the last unbeaten side in the competition, but sit in fourth place with 4 draws harming their cause. Their recent form suggests a draw could be on the cards again, as they have now backed up their last 3 NPL wins with 2-2 draws. Whilst that would usually be a reasonable result against a fellow title rival, they do need to start stringing wins together and record back to back league wins for the first time this year if they are to climb the table. South have only taken the 1 point from games against the top four so far this year, dealing with the sides below them comfortably, but not quite getting the results from the 'six point' games they've faced. Having said that, they probably should have beaten Devonport if not for a Pitchford masterclass and had the better of the chances in the game against Zebras. I fully expect both sides to create enough chances to win the game, but both these sides have had troubles converting them this year and that could well prove the deciding factor when they play on Thursday.
[caption id="attachment_10881" align="alignnone" width="554"]
The Zebras head into Anzac Day off the back of a win over the Strikers- Solstice Photography[/caption]
The Warriors will be without Jordan Scott-Solstice Photography[/caption]
Second up at 3:15pm, South Hobart take on Hobart Zebras in a battle of 3rd v 4th. They played out a 1-1 draw at Darcy Street earlier this season and this looms as another tight one. The Zebras are the last unbeaten side in the competition, but sit in fourth place with 4 draws harming their cause. Their recent form suggests a draw could be on the cards again, as they have now backed up their last 3 NPL wins with 2-2 draws. Whilst that would usually be a reasonable result against a fellow title rival, they do need to start stringing wins together and record back to back league wins for the first time this year if they are to climb the table. South have only taken the 1 point from games against the top four so far this year, dealing with the sides below them comfortably, but not quite getting the results from the 'six point' games they've faced. Having said that, they probably should have beaten Devonport if not for a Pitchford masterclass and had the better of the chances in the game against Zebras. I fully expect both sides to create enough chances to win the game, but both these sides have had troubles converting them this year and that could well prove the deciding factor when they play on Thursday.
[caption id="attachment_10881" align="alignnone" width="554"] The Zebras head into Anzac Day off the back of a win over the Strikers- Solstice Photography[/caption]