The Devonport Strikers preparation for the NPL Finals Series is in full swing after defeating Clarence 8-0 at Wentworth Park on Sunday.
A hat trick to Raphael Reynolds was the highlight of the dominant display, with single goals to Daniel Syson, Miles Barnard, Max Fitzgerald and Joel Stone helping round out the victory.
With a drizzle coming down from the heavens the game kicked off and Devonport dominated possession from the get-go. Max Fitzgerald looked lively on the wing, with the slippery surface causing havoc for his opponents early. Clarence keeper Matthew Dyson was also in on the action early, stopping Fitzgerald on two occasions before Devonport found a breakthrough.
Devonport’s first goal of the game came after Jackson Ebini cleared the ball for a corner. Joel Stone was the man who stepped up to take the set piece, with the number 10 finding the head of Raphael Reynolds who headed well, moving the score to 1-0 with 15 minutes played.
Nine minutes after the opening goal Clarence had a good attack of their own, when Lachlan Burt produced a superb run and pass, however Moynihan was just beaten to the ball. The Strikers would soon create more opportunities of their own, forcing Dyson into action multiple times with a Kieran Mulraney header the pick of the bunch.
Mulraney was at the centre of the action once again in the 27th minute after Hatcher cleared a Fitzgerald cross. This clearance resulted in a corner for the Strikers and after the cross found the head of Mulraney it made its way to Syson who struck the ball into the goal, moving the score to 2-0.
The second goal of the game did not stop Devonport and the men in yellow continued to attack the Clarence defense. Joel Stone missed two opportunities, before Josh Houston cleared a powerful Mulraney header off the line. Stone then forced a good save from Dyson, before the keeper was called into action three minutes later to stop a Miles Barnard chance. These missed chances saw the score remain 2-0 as the teams went into the rooms at halftime.
The second half started much like the first, with the visiting team attacking. This early attack resulted in a corner, and just like the Strikers' first two goals, they managed to score from it. Miles Barnard was the beneficiary of this set piece, heading powerfully, although the botched goal-line clearance ensured it went down as an own goal.
Two minutes later, the Strikers were gifted another golden opportunity, when Hedge and Lange combined to bring down Fitzgerald in the box. This foul resulted in the referee pointing to the spot, and it was Barnard who stood up to take the penalty.
With the ‘fox in the box’ over the ball everyone in the crowd expected another Devonport goal, however Matthew Dyson had other ideas, saving Barnard’s shot and sending the home fans into cheers. However, the drama would not stop there, with the referee forcing a retake of the penalty, much to the anger of the home fans and Dyson, who picked up a yellow card for his protests. This time Barnard made no mistake, pulling within one of Matthew Sanders in the race for the golden boot and moving the score to 4-0.
The home side continued to battle with their opponents, however it was not long before the Strikers broke through again. The visitors fifth goal came when Reynolds received the ball at the top of the box, striking it into the bottom of the net in the 67th minute and extending the lead to 5-0.
Three minutes after Reynolds’ goal, Clarence’s Josh Houston produced a shot from nowhere, hitting from distance and almost catching Pitchford off his line, however the keeper recovered well to tap the ball over the bar. This chance would prove to just be a small break for the Clarence defense as the relentless Devonport produced some quick footwork to set up Max Fitzgerald at the back post, moving the score to 6-0 with 75 minutes played.
Not long after this chance Clarence had a great opportunity to attack the visitor’s goal when Burt found Randall with a flick. Randall then turned well, with his pass almost cutting open the Strikers defense, however Devonport held strong.
As the game drew closer to an end the Strikers were still hungry for more goals. Fitzgerald hit over the bar on two occasions whilst Stone hit wide of the goal. In the 92nd minute a Joel Stone cross found the head of Reynolds, who headed home to complete his hat trick. Just a minute later the Strikers had another, when Stone spun the ball inside the post to move his sides total to eight. This was how the score it remained, with the Strikers defeating Clarence eight goals to nil.
Speaking post-match Devonport coach Rick Coghlan was happy with “bits and bobs” of his side’s performance, outlining that he was not very happy with the first half. When asked about how he keeps his side motivated despite having the title sealed Coghlan said that “every minute we’re together, whether it’s at training or during a game and it’s the same for Clarence today and South Hobart next week is preparation for NPL finals and that should be motivation enough.”
Clarence coach Warren Burt was happy that his side held Devonport to two goals at halftime and said that his side had a belief that if they could get back an early goal they were in the contest. Burt believed that ultimately across the year his side had improved and played some good football at times, just not consistently enough.
The result does not change the table, with Devonport Champions and Clarence finishing in ninth. Sunday’s game was Clarence’s last of the season, whilst Devonport travel to Darcy Street to take on South Hobart, 2pm on Saturday.