Glenorchy Knights v South Hobart
Date: Saturday 31 October
Venue: KGV
Kick Off: 6:30 PM
Road to the Semi Final
Glenorchy Knights
Round of 16: Glenorchy Knights 5-0 Northern Rangers (KGV)
Quarter Final: Glenorchy Knights 3-0 Taroona (Kelvedon Park)
South Hobart:
Round of 16: South Hobart 2-4 Launceston United (Birch Avenue)
Quarter Final: South Hobart 5-2 Kingborough (KGV)
The Glenorchy Knights came up just short in their quest for NPL glory this year, but there is no Devonport Strikers standing in their way in the Lakoseljac Cup, with the NPL runners up looking to take full advantage and claim the coveted silverware. The obstacle they do face is a tough one though, coming in the form of a South Hobart side who are the current Cup holders and a team that has an affinity with this competition, winning it five times in the previous decade. The familiar connection to the tournament is strong at both clubs, with Milan a former great of the Knights whilst his grandson Bradley will line up for South, adding further import to what is already a massive game for both these sides. It might be a home game for Knights, but South should feel at home themselves having played some very sharp football on KGV this season, with the wider expanses and slick surfaces suiting their game. That point is underlined by the the two meetings between the pair in the NPL, at Darcy Street it was Knights who won 3-0, whilst the more recent meeting at KGV earlier in the month ended in a 1-1 draw. Both these sides are laden with attacking talent and play the game in a positive manner. Throw in the stakes of a Cup Semi Final and the former South players at Knights and this has all the makings of a cup classic under lights at KGV.
Glenorchy Knights v Launceston City
Date: Sunday 1 November
Venue: KGV
Kick Off: 2:00 PM
Road to the Semi Final
Olympia Warriors
Round of 16: Olympia 10-1 Beachside (Warrior Park)
Quarter Final: Launceston City 2-0 Hobart United (KG)
Launceston City
Round of 16: Launceston City 2-1 Devonport (Buckby Land Rover Park)
Quarter Final: Olympia 2-0 University (Warrior Park)
Two sides who failed to meet expectations in the NPL chase redemption in the form of the Lakoseljac Cup, with both sides desperate to salvage something from the 2020 season.
The Warriors were expected to push hard for the NPL crown this season and a fifth place finish with just half the points of the eventual champions Devonport was well below expectation. But a Lakoseljac Cup win would still see the Warriors walk away with a successful season. With a home tie against the bottom placed side in the league, they could scarcely have asked for a better shot at returning for another shot at the trophy they last won back in 2017. City meanwhile have also fallen short of where they were targeting, after heading into the season with optimism which was forged in this very competition, when they bounced Devonport out in the Round of 16. Since then they have won just 2 from their 15 games, downing Hobart United in the Cup and winning a Derby win over Riverside, but if they were to walk away with the Lakoseljac Cup, the stuttering league campaign will quickly fade away. Despite the consistent losses, there was another consistent theme and that was they were competitive in those defeats. This is a much better side than their record suggests and the Warriors will need to be on guard against a side they swept in their 2 regular season meetings. The closer of the two games did come at Warrior Park where they won 2-1 and with Olympia's consistency lacking this year, this could be tighter than the two sides NPL records may indicate.