Devonport Strikers vs Launceston City
Date: Saturday June 19
Venue: Valley Road
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2021 record Devonport Strikers: 6-1-2 (second in NPL TAS) Launceston City: 1-1-6 (seventh in NPL TAS)
Top scorers Devonport Strikers: Brody Denehey (8) Launceston City: Yasin Mohammadi (2)
Preview:
If the Strikers can put a hold on their Lakoseljac Cup title celebrations for long enough, they will return to action against Launceston City this weekend. Any game following the emotional rollercoaster of Monday's cup final would be a danger game, but the Strikers would be glad to be playing at home as the league resumes. They have rounded into form at the right time of the season, and while there is still a reasonable gap between them and the first-placed Knights they have kept themselves well and truly in the title race. If they want to stay there, this is the kind of game they need to win without fail. They remain rock solid in defence, conceding only nine goals in the NPL and led superbly by captain Kieran Mulraney. That should be enough for them to hold off a City side that has scored just six goals of their own this season, the least in the league by a wide margin. Lino Sciulli has his side working hard, but that hasn't quite translated onto the scoreboard just yet. Still, with plenty of young talent starting to settle in at the top level they have the chance to rise in the second half of the season. Their best performance of the season came last round in a 1-1 draw with South Hobart, and they would be desperate to continue that upwards trend.Key player: Will Fleming, Launceston City
Sciulli spoke during the week about his high hopes for Fleming, and the 18-year-old scored his first NPL goal against South. That should have been the winner, but regardless, City would be hoping it is the first of many as they search for a reliable avenue to goal.Riverside Olympic vs Kingborough Lions
Date: Saturday June 19
Venue: Windsor Park
Kick-off: 2:30 PM
2021 record Riverside Olympic: 0-1-7 (eighth in NPL TAS) Kingborough Lions: 5-0-4 (fourth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers Riverside Olympic: William Humphrey/Fletcher Fulton (3) Kingborough Lions: Adam McKeown (8)
Preview:
Riverside are still searching for their first win this season, and after plenty of close calls they would be desperate to break their drought at home against the Lions. Before last round Riverside had not lost a game by more than two goals, but a 6-1 thumping at the hands of the Strikers was an unwelcome step in the wrong direction. After a week off to regroup and recover, they should come out firing here. Tom Prince gave them an early lead last time they faced the Lions, and if they can make a similarly fast start here they may catch the opposition off guard. The Lions continue to sit in the middle of the road on the NPL table, a step below the top three but a level above the bottom four. That makes this a must-win game against a side below them if they hope to break through the ceiling above them, doubly so after three losses in their last four games. Adam McKeown remains in the top few scorers in the league with over half of his side's goals, and while there is plenty of attacking talent around him the Lions will need more production from them moving forward. This game could be a good chance to build some confidence among that supporting cast, but it certainly won't be a walk in the park.Key player: Ryan McCarragher, Riverside Olympic
McCarragher played his first game of the season last round, and while it was in a heavy loss he slotted into their backline comfortably. With the ability to play a number of different roles across the park, he gives manager Alex Gaetani room to experiment with his lineups in the back half of the season.Clarence Zebras vs South Hobart
Date: Saturday June 19
Venue: Wentworth Park
Kick-off: 4:30 PM
2021 record Clarence Zebras: 2-1-5 (sixth in NPL TAS) South Hobart: 5-2-1 (third in NPL TAS)
Top scorers Clarence Zebras: Riley Dillon (9) South Hobart: Nick Morton (8)
Preview:
Two sides trending in different directions will meet in round ten, with the Zebras looking to continue to climb and South Hobart trying to avoid a slide. Clarence would have enjoyed their week off after claiming a comprehensive 4-1 win over Olympia in their last game. That moved them to within three points of their Eastern Shore rivals on the NPL table, and just as importantly, it moved them further away from the foot of the ladder. It was the perfect recovery from a thumping defeat to Devonport, with four individual goalscorers sharing the love. Riley Dillon was one of those players and he now sits alone atop the league leaders with nine goals this season. That has helped the Zebras to overcome their scoring woes of last season, but they still need to tighten up a defence that has leaked a league-high 26 goals. Where the Zebras resume from the cup break in winning form, South return to action after a draw with seventh-placed Launceston City. It took a stoppage-time equaliser from Marcus Eugster to salvage even a point from that game after a largely sluggish performance. Before that, they suffered a loss to Devonport that saw the Strikers leapfrog them into second place on the table, albeit with one extra game played. Despite this, South are still well and truly in the title race if they can bounce back strongly after the cup break. Nick Morton has been at his best this season and leads their attacking line, and if their brigade of young stars can find some uniformity and consistency in their performances South Hobart will remain a difficult side to beat.Key player: Kasper Hallam, South Hobart
Injuries have restricted him at times this season, but Hallam seems certain to regain his best form sooner rather than later. He is a dynamic attacker and the perfect foil for Morton, and he will need to be back hitting the scoresheet when South face the teams ahead of them. This game could be the perfect tune-up for those future contests.Olympia Warriors vs Glenorchy Knights
Date: Saturday June 19
Venue: Warrior Park
Kick-off: 6:30 PM
2021 record Olympia Warriors: 3-1-4 (fifth in NPL TAS) Glenorchy Knights: 7-1-0 (first in NPL TAS)
Top scorers Olympia Warriors: Kyle Vincent (7) Glenorchy Knights: Nick Mearns (6)
Preview:
Monday's Lakoseljac Cup final was the kind of loss that can linger in your mind for years, let alone a week, so it will be interesting to see how the Glenorchy Knights bounce back here against Olympia. That was their first loss this season, so the odds of them falling in back-to-back weeks seem slim, especially give the talent in their lineup. Nic Naden continued his strong form with a goal in the cup final, and he and Nick Mearns form the second-highest scoring duo in the NPL this season with 11 goals between them. The Knights comfortably lead the league with 30 goals this season despite losing both Alex Walter and Joffrey Nkoso, but what may be even more impressive is their defensive work. They have conceded just seven goals, less than one per game, and have been the best in the league at that end of the field as well. Olympia's season thus far has been a rollercoaster ride-- despite sitting with a near-perfectly balanced record, they are yet to win consecutive games. Their last outing was a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Zebras, so for this week at least they will be hoping to continue their up-and-down form by following that with a win. They have still performed admirably in most games given the youth in their lineup with Kyle Vincent leading the way, chasing the Golden Boot and providing a much-needed target up forward. There should be plenty of feeling in this game for them (more on that below) and whenever that is the case, an upset could be on the cards.Key player: Austin Yost, Glenorchy Knights
One of the standouts for the Warriors early in the season, Yost has continued to shine since jumping ship and joining Glenorchy. There has been plenty of angst around the defection, but regardless of where you sit on the issue his quality as a player is undeniable. To step into the ladder-leading lineup and immediately thrive is impressive, and he would be keen to impress in his first trip to Warrior Park as part of the visiting side.