Match of the Round: Clarence Zebras v Kingborough Lions
Zebras To Host Lions In Home Opening Safari Derby
The first ‘Safari Derby’ of the 2024 season will take place at Wentworth Park on Saturday afternoon, with both the Clarence Zebras and Kingborough Lions heading into the contest off the back of impressive victories in the Lakoseljac Cup last weekend.
Speaking at a Friday morning press conference, Zebras coach Mark Astley agreed their 3-0 victory over Ulverstone was an important win to help his side build into the new season.
“I think it was very important that the boys get a win under their belts, a bit of belief, and a clean sheet which I was very happy with, especially after some of the sloppy penalties we gave away in the first couple of rounds," he said.
Whilst the Zebras suffered defeats in the opening two rounds of the season, Astley said there were positives to take from those matches.
“I was happy to an extent, but in both games, we switched off for five minutes which killed us. It’s all well and good to outplay a side, or be strong defensively for 75-80 minutes, but if you switch off and let them score 2 goals then it's hard to get back into it. So the big focus has been to work on maintaining that intensity and focus right to the final whistle," he said.
Astley was optimistic his side could find a positive result from their home opener against a tough opponent.
“They’re another very strong team, we need to keep working on the key fundamentals that we’ve been working on as a group and I think we are improving week to week. We're focusing on making the most of our chances and shutting down the opposition's chances. So if we follow the gameplan we will be there or thereabouts come full time on Saturday," he said.
His Lions counterpart Alfred Hess was pleased with the way his side has responded since an opening-round defeat to South Hobart
“It was a little bit of a disappointment in the performance aspect in that Round 1 game but a great response from the group and I am pleased with how we are progressing," he said.
“I think we are creating some high-quality opportunities to score goals and the players have taken their moments, been a bit clinical at times. The performance aspect is there but the players have to take their moments and it appears we are getting it right in that respect.”
With the departure of Declan Taylor and Ahmed Othman, the Lions needed someone to step up and provide some scoring support to Mies and Kemp in attack, and Alex Brown has done just that, scoring a hat-trick in their Cup game win over Launceston United.
“Opportunities were presented for players to step forward and I think Alex has done a great job in really developing a clear understanding of his role this year and he is executing at a high level," he said.
Hess said he was expecting a different Zebras outfit to the side they faced in the preseason, and one fired up by a first outing at their home ground for the year.
“I’m certainly not expecting the same side we met in the Summer Cup, credit to Mark and his process. They’ve certainly improved, they seem to be a lot more effective at creating opportunities.”
“It’s their home opener this week, so they will probably be putting a lot of pressure on themselves and eager to do well at home, so that’s something we need to manage and expect to see come the weekend.”
Top Three Looking To Make it 3/3
In other Round 3 action, the Devonport Strikers will look to maintain their perfect start to the new campaign when they take on Launceston City. City will be filled with confidence ahead of this game, having downed South Hobart 2-1 in the Lakoseljac Cup last week and then Riverside 3-0 in their midweek catch-up game. That extra game may leave them slightly fatigued, however, against a Devonport side who have dominated this particular rivalry in recent years, a rivalry which has often brought the fireworks and physicality.
At KGV, early competition pace-setters Glenorchy Knights will look to maintain top spot on the table as they host Riverside Olympic. Whilst the Knights are yet to face any potential title rivals yet, they've been flawless so far in 2024, scoring 18 times without conceding across three matches. It will certainly take an improved performance from what Riverside have produced so far to bump the Knights from top spot. They lacked a cutting edge against City midweek, though showed some positive signs in an improved second-half display.
Finally, Launceston United will look to pick themselves up after a tough start to the year, but it won't get much easier for them here as they host South Hobart. Having conceded 22 times in three matches, they simply have to be better in defence, an issue that stood out when surrendering 4-0 to Devonport in their last NPL outing. South faltered in the Lakoseljac Cup last weekend away to Launceston City, but have made a strong start to the NPL season with a pair of 3-1 victories. Their elimination from the Cup means the NPL now becomes their sole focus, and they should be able to bounce back here and make it 3/3.
Round 3
Saturday 6 April
Launceston United v South Hobart, Birch Avenue, 2:15pm LIVE STREAM
Clarence Zebras v Kingborough Lions, Wentworth Park, 2:30pm, LIVE STREAM
Devonport Strikers v Launceston City, 4:30pm LIVE STREAM
Glenorchy Knights v Riverside Olympic, 4:45pm, LIVE STREAM