Strikers Take Stranglehold on 2023 Title
The Devonport Strikers rallied back from an early deficit to defeat the Glenorchy Knights 3-1 and move seven points clear on top of the table. A pair of penalties converted by Roberto Fernandez Garrido and an own goal from Eli Luttmer was enough for Devonport to cancel out Daniel Sagno’s opening goal and give themselves what looks like a decisive break in the 2023 title race.
It was a cagey opening to the match, which was unsurprising given what was at stake and neither side wanted to blink first. But the Knights were gifted the lead by a rare error from Toby Barton, who misplaced his back pass, allowing Sagno to nick in ahead of the keeper and slot home the opening goal in the 24th minute.
Devonport needed just 10 minutes to get back on terms as Connor Schmidt mistimed a challenge and cut down Lanau-Atkinson in the box.
Roberto Fernandez Garrido made no mistake from the spot and it was back level at 1-1.
Schmidt came close to atoning when he drove a fizzing shot just past the post before Barton headed one over the top in the final chance of a half that saw very few scoring opportunities.
Devonport then took the lead in the 49th minute as Luke Bennett’s cross took a deflection into the outstretched leg of Luttmer before deviating back into the goal. It was a cruel blow for the Knights, but seemed to get the Striker's tails up, as they took control of the match and started to really boss proceedings from this point. They fired off a series of shots and looked far more likely to extend their lead than the Knights did cancelling it out as the half progressed.
That pressure eventually led to a second penalty when Jack Turner was adjudged to have handled the ball from Lanau-Atkinson’s free kick.
Up stepped Garrido who once again made no mistake from the spot, driving home the goal to seal the match and in all likelihood the 2023 league title.
With the title on the line, it was the Strikers who rose to the occasion and there can be no arguing that they fully deserved the win, handling the occasion better than the visitors who just couldn't get going in the second half.
It’s hard to see the Strikers ceding a 7 points gap in the final 7 rounds of the season and it would take an improbable implosion for the title not to be headed back to Valley Road.
Last Gasp Young Fires Riverside To Victory
Riverside Olympic claimed a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Clarence Zebras, as Campbell Young headed home a 93rd-minute winner in a game that sprang to life in the final 15 minutes.
The Zebras had the better of the early exchanges and tested the Riverside defensive unit out with a series of set pieces and crosses into the area keeping them under constant early pressure. It didn’t translate into too many clear-cut chances, with the exception of when Riley Dillon, playing NPL TAS game #100 should’ve handed them the lead when he blazed over from close range in the eighth minute.
The pressure eventually told however and the Zebras got the breakthrough via a corner, when the ball was played back in and fell for a returning Benjamin Tilley to blast home.
Having been outplayed for most of the half, Riverside got themselves back on terms just before the break via their first clear-cut chance. Some quality play from Andre Chamusca saw him setting up Gedi Krusa to square the game in the 44th minute. It was a blow for the Zebras who had dominated till that point, but now found themselves back on terms.
The second half saw Riverside start to get on top of things and suddenly it was they who were doing the bulk of the attacking. Aaron Kidmas came close when his deflected strike was well saved by Jones but the game remained locked at 1-1 as it reached the final 15 minutes.
Riverside's hit the lead when Andre Chamusca chalked up his second assist of the contest, this time picking out Austin Marshall for a well directed close-range finish to make it 2-1 and send the home crowd into raptures.
But Sam Tooze looked like he was set to play spoiler when he struck in the 87 minute, glancing a fine header from Dillon’s well-placed free kick to level it back at 2-2.
Pritchard Adjei then nearly had the Zebras ahead when his header was well saved by Dan Nash in the 90th minute.
It would prove an even more enormous stop moments later when Riverside won a free kick in an advanced position. Liam Poulson swung in an inviting cross which Campbell Young rose to head home and secure a dramatic late winner for the Roos.
It was a substitute setting up a substitute for the winner, so a tip of the cap to coach Lynden Prince on those moves, giving them a second win in their past three games.
South Down City to Extend Streak
South Hobart made it five consecutive NPL Tasmania victories, as they accounted for Launceston City 2-0 at Buckby Motors Park. In a scrappy affair, South were the more clinical of the two sides and made City pay for some early profligacy.
After a chanceless opening twenty minutes, it was the hosts who started to get on top and Nicholas O’Connell was called into action to make an important double save to turn aside Washington Filho’s shot as well as Stefan Tantari’s follow-up effort in the 25th minute.
Tantari drew another sharp save from O’Connell before Mason Smith then had a promising opening but could only fire straight at the keeper, as the early chances began to mount.
City’s inability to grab a goal in this period where they seemingly had South enduring a barrage at the back would haunt them shortly after when Nick Morton struck back the other way.
Seizing on an under-hit header back to Lachie Clark, Morton snuck in ahead of the keeper, took it around him and passed it into the gaping net to put South ahead in the 36th minute. It was a real sucker punch, coming off the back of what would prove City’s best 15 minutes of the game. From that point on they struggled to get much going in attack, as South defended well and denied them the ball in dangerous areas.
Chances were few and far between from then on but former City player Jaden Fidra again came back to haunt his former side and secure the victory for South when he bobbed up in the 68th minute.
A free kick to the back post was headed back across the face of the goal by Jacob Lancaster, and there was Fidra waiting to pounce. He blasted his shot home that made it 2-0 and effectively killed off the contest.
The win was South Hobart’s fifth in a row and it sees them close back within a point of second-placed Knights on the table. The title may well be beyond their reach, but a second-placed finish appears well within reach. City meanwhile appear set for a three-way fight with the Zebras and Lions for the final position in the top 4.
Lions Cruise Past United
The Kingborough Lions snapped a two-game losing skid, as they comfortably accounted for Launceston United 6-1 at Floorworld Park to move back within 4 points of the competition’s top four.
The first half was shaded by the Lions, but United were hanging in there and defending stoutly, looking to hit the Lions on the counter when they could.
Piper saved brilliantly to deny Ahmad Othman in the 32nd minute but they were largely being restricted to shots from longer range.
Angelo Amato had his side’s best chance of the half but Eisa Azizi did well to get down and keep his shot out. It proved a pivotal moment, as just two minutes later it was the Lions celebrating the lead instead.
Noah Mies found Taylor in the box, who cut it back sharply to Freddy Hess who drilled home a shot with a quick release to make it 1-0.
The Lions then struck again in first-half stoppage time as Noah Mies bagged his first of the afternoon after Taylor sprung him in behind the defence.
When the Lions scored again just two minutes into the second half, this time via Ahmad Othman and Jacob Huigsloot rose to head in the fourth shortly after that it was 4-0 and game over.
From 0-0 after 40 minutes to 4-0 after 53, it was a devastating burst on either side of the half-time interval and it saw the Lions storming away with the game.
Mies bagged his second with a classy move to take it past the defender then chip it over the keeper and make it 5-0 before United managed to pull back a consolation goal.
Jaeden Mercure skipped past two defenders into the box before driving a powerful shot that nestled in the back of the net.
The Lions extended their lead back out to five goals nearing full time when they scored from another corner, as Fred Hess bagged his second goal of the evening to seal a 6-1 victory for the Lions.
The win coupled with defeats to City and the Zebras sees the Lions closing back in on the top four, which will be their aim in the final full round of fixtures when play resumes after the bye round next weekend.
Round 14
Devonport Strikers 3 (R.Garrido 37” 79” E.Luttmer OG 49”)
Glenorchy Knights 1 (D.Sagno 25”)
Riverside Olympic 3 (G.Krusa 45” A.Marshall 76” C.Young 90+3”)
Clarence Zebras 2 (B.Tilley 27” S.Tooze 87”
Launceston United 1 (J.Mercure 78”)
Kingborough Lions 6 (F.Hess 41” 87” N.Mies 45+1”67” A.Othmann 47” J.Huigsloot 53”
Launceston City 0
South Hobart 2 (N.Morton 37” J.Fidra 68”)