South Hobart vs Olympia
Date: Saturday September 26
Venue: Darcy Street
Kick-off: 2:00 PM
2020 record: South Hobart: 5-0-4 (third in NPL TAS) Olympia: 4-1-4 (fifth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: South Hobart: Kasper Hallam (7) Olympia: Jack Ryan (6)
Last time they met: Olympia 2-1 South Hobart
Preview:
Olympia’s good run of form came to a screeching halt with a loss to the Zebras last week, but they could still leapfrog back past South Hobart with a win on Saturday. That’s twice now this season that the Warriors have lost to their Eastern Shore rivals, and with a 12-5 shot count and 10-1 corner count in their favour last round they would feel that the latest defeat was an opportunity missed. If nothing else, the result continued to highlight the hole that Jack Ryan’s departure has left in their lineup—the Englishman still has a two-goal buffer as the team’s top goalscorer. They have plenty of capable attacking players at their disposal but finding a way to consistently make them click is still a work in progress. South will surely be glad to see the back of Ryan, as he scored the equaliser last time they met in what would end as a 2-1 loss. They suffered a tough loss to Devonport the following week but bounced back with a dominant display against Launceston City last round, scoring three but producing countless more quality chances. Andy Brennan finally looked to be back to his best, and with Morton also in full flight it will be a tough task for Olympia’s defence to keep them quiet.
Key player: Austin Yost, Olympia Warriors
Yost has started the last two games and had a big impact, scoring a stunning goal against Riverside and almost adding another last round. One of the younger players in Olympia’s regular squad, he is capable of providing a spark on any given day. In games where they’re struggling to find an avenue to goal, that could prove vital.
Devonport Strikers vs Kingborough Lions
Date: Saturday September 26
Venue: Valley Road
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2020 record: Devonport: 8-1-0 (first in NPL TAS) Kingborough: 4-3-2 (fourth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Devoport: Connor Parke (4) Kingborough: Adam Mckeown (6)
Last time they met: Kingborough 1-1 Devonport
Preview:
Was it only three rounds ago that Kingborough caused Devonport to drop their first points of the season? Since then the Lions squeezed out a last-gasp win over bottom-place Launceston City, before last week’s spectacular capitulation against Glenorchy saw them slip to fourth on the table. Their best is enough to challenge the league’s top teams, but that standard is being produced less and less frequently. They will be without Davis Bryan in round ten after the defender’s red card against the Knights, and that will be a big loss for a team that conceded six goals after he exited that game. The Strikers have also been below their best in recent weeks, and indeed for much of the season, and yet they are still yet to lose a game. That speaks to the immense quality of Chris Gallo’s side as they continue to grind out results with minimal fuss. They never looked like losing to Riverside last round, and yet they struggled to threaten the goal until a controversial penalty proved to be the difference on the scoreboard. It’s form like that which allowed the Lions to steal a point last time out, but can they hold out again up against an undeniably talented Strikers front line?
Key player: Danny Cowen, Kingborough Lions
Bryan’s sending off offers an excuse, but there is no way the Lions would be anything other than livid that they conceded seven goals last round. Cowen remains their leader at the back, and it will be interesting to see if he can rally the troops for an improved performance against the best side in the league. He has been in excellent form for much of the season and that will need to continue if they want to bounce back quickly.
Clarence Zebras vs Riverside Olympic
Date: Saturday September 26
Venue: Wentworth Park
Kick-off: 2:30 PM
2020 record: Clarence: 2-2-5 (sixth in NPL TAS) Riverside: 1-2-6 (seventh in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Clarence: Jayden Hey, Riley Dillon, Jake Thomson (2) Riverside: Nil Sanz (4)
Last time they met: Riverside 3-3 Clarence
Preview:
Clarence remain the kings of the eastern shore after a second win against Olympia, but they will be hoping to parlay that into more consistent success starting with a good result here. Those two victories over the Warriors remain their only wins this season, but this represents a winnable matchup against a team below them on the table. Scoring goals remains their biggest issue with just over one per game, but a pair of headed goals paired with an impressive defensive performance were enough last round. If they can keep that resolve in the backline they will surely like their chances against Riverside, who are still searching for a reliable source of goals with Nil Sanz smothered by opposing defences. It could be argued that they were unlucky to lose to the Strikers, but at the same time they struggled to challenge goalkeeper Nathan Pitchford in any meaningful fashion. Against a less experienced side and without the state’s premier gloveman in their way this is the perfect chance for them to experiment and break the shackles on the scoreboard.
Key player: Fletcher Fulton, Riverside Olympic
Fulton has shown his goalscoring ability, with three goals this season including a brace last time he faced the Zebras. He looked lively against the Strikers too, but if Riverside want to improve their record during the second half of the season he will need to find a way to hit the scoreboard more regularly.
Launceston City vs Glenorchy Knights
Date: Saturday August 26
Venue: Buckby Land Rover Park
Kick-off: 4:30 PM
2020 record: Launceston City: 0-1-8 (eighth in NPL TAS) Glenorchy: 7-0-2 (second in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Launceston City: Samuel Ridgard (4) Glenorchy: Alex Walter (9)
Last time they met: Glenorchy 3-0 Launceston City
Preview:
Two sides on opposite ends of the form guide will round out round ten; the Knights come into this clash red-hot after a 7-0 drubbing of the Lions, while City were thoroughly outplayed last round and are still yet to claim a win this season. Every game is crucial for Glenorchy if they are to keep the pressure on Devonport at the top of the table, and they will need to be clinical in games like this if they want to keep their title hopes alive. The trip to Buckby Park is never an easy one, but with the best attacking lineup in the league they should fancy their chances up against a team that has given up a league-worst 21 goals. With nothing tangible to play for after a horror first half of the year City can still impact the title race by stealing a result in this one. Captain Samuel Ridgard continues to battle manfully up forward, but he needs more support from those behind him if they want to even stay close. Noah Mies has shown glimpses but needs to continue to lift, while senior players Jarrod Linger and Rob Gerrard need to find a way to have a greater impact.
Key player: Alex Walter, Glenorchy Knights
Walter’s form has been irresistible, with six goals in his last three games sending him to the top of the Golden Boot race. He is undoubtedly the most dangerous forward in the league right now, and with so much attacking talent around him he is almost impossible to stifle completely. It’s hard to see Launceston slowing him down, but doing so will be a must if they are to be any chance.