Olympia Warriors vs Devonport Strikers
Date: Saturday October 3
Venue: Warrior Park
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2020 record: Olympia: 5-1-4 (third in NPL TAS) Devonport: 9-1-0 (first in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Olympia: Jack Ryan/Declan Brown (6) Devonport: Connor Parke/Brody Denehey (4)
Last time they met: Devonport 3-2 Olympia
Preview:
We’ve asked for weeks now where the goals will come from for the Warriors, and they answered those questions emphatically by putting six past South Hobart last round. This will be a much tougher test of their new-look front line, though, as they will host a Strikers team that has conceded multiple goals in just one game this season. It was a typically efficient outing last week for the league leaders, as they were never really challenged throughout a 3-1 win over the Kingborough Lions. They would have surely liked to push the margin out further against an understrength opponent, but they continue to bank the wins in their hunt for a third consecutive title. Brody Denehey returned to the scoresheet after a recent lean run, and given while their waywardness in front of goal hasn’t been punished often they will be near unbeatable if their attacking options can all fire. There were no such issues finishing in front of goal for the Warriors last round—they trailed the total shot count against South but scored six goals from just ten shots to bury the contest early in the second half. Coach Rob Clarke shuffled the magnets around with some positional adjustments, and that seemed to get the best out of his unquestionably talented playing group. The next step will be to find some consistency, and this game will be the perfect litmus test to see where they are really at.
Key player: Nicholas Mearns, Olympia Warriors
The biggest shift on the team sheet saw Mearns move into unfamiliar territory as a striker, and it paid off in spades as he bagged a first-half brace. His work in tandem with the Brown brothers was impeccable, but the pressure will be on him now to perform again against a rock-solid Strikers defence.
Riverside Olympic vs Launceston City
Date: Saturday October 3
Venue: Windsor Park
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2020 record: Riverside: 1-2-7 (seventh in NPL TAS) Launceston: 0-1-9 (eighth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Riverside: Nil Sanz/Fletcher Fulton (4) Launceston City: Samuel Ridgard (4)
Last time they met: Launceston 1-2 Riverside
Preview:
How much do you believe in negative reinforcement? This contest will put the concept to the test, as both sides have little to play for other than the chance to move away from the wooden spoon. It was another loss for City last round, but they fought hard and were able to largely stifle the free-flowing Knights for much of the game. A Jarrod Linger own-goal and a Matthew Oh red card stretched them too far in the end, but it was an improved performance from a side looking for positives. The key will be cutting down on those mistakes, as they are just as costly against a struggling side like Riverside as they are against the league’s best. While Riverside were up against a Clarence Zebras team in fine form, they still would have to be disappointed to go down 4-1 against a club in their sector of the table. That made it three straight losses for them and seven outings since their last win. That was against Launceston City, though, and with Fletcher Fulton and Nil Sanz both continuing to battle hard up forward they will surely fancy their chances against a side that has struggled to defend all season.
Key player: Jarrod Linger, Launceston City
Started the season in strong fashion but Linger has struggled a little of late as they have fallen this season. With zero goals and one own-goal to his name, he is well and truly overdue for a strong outing, though a move to full back has certainly stifled his scoring chances. His previous best form shows that he is far too talented to continue to struggle for the rest of the season though and a breakout game is coming, what better time than in the Derby.
Glenorchy Knights vs South Hobart
Date: Saturday October 3
Venue: KGV Football Park
Kick-off: 4:30 PM
2020 record: Glenorchy: 8-0-2 (second in NPL TAS) South Hobart: 5-0-5 (fourth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Glenorchy: Alex Walter (10) South Hobart: Kasper Hallam (7)
Last time they met: South Hobart 1-3 Glenorchy
Preview:
The South Hobart yo-yo continues to rise and fall, but they will have a tough time bouncing back against a Glenorchy side that is still hanging around in the title race. It was a slog at times for the Knights against a plucky Launceston City but, as it has for much of the season, their class shone through in the end. Alex Walter took his goal tally to double figures with an excellent solo effort, and he will surely be hungry for more against his old side. Both he and fellow South defector Connor Schmidt hit the scoreboard last time the two sides met as Glenorchy cruised to a comfortable 3-1 win. South will be hoping to reverse not only that result, but also their recent league form after a stunning 6-3 loss at the hands of Olympia last week. A mid-week cup game will only pile on more physical stress, although their replay win over the Lions would be a welcome boost to morale. For the most part this season, they have struggled against the league’s best teams and looked comfortably ahead of those below them, hence their dead-even record. Is that inconsistent performance, or is that just an indicator of where they sit in the league pecking order? Either way, a result here would be a huge step in the right direction for a young team still looking to really find their feet.
Key player: Kasper Hallam, South Hobart
Given Glenorchy’s wealth of attacking talent, this game may have to be a goal-fest for South to stand a chance. Hallam has proven time and time again to be their most reliable avenue to goal, and while the senior players behind him have stepped up he will need to continue to fire. On a personal level, this game will be a huge chance for him to claw back some ground on Walter in the Golden Boot race.
Kingborough Lions vs Clarence Zebras
Date: Saturday October 3
Venue: Lightwood Park
Kick-off: 6:30 PM
2020 record: Kingborough: 4-3-3 (fifth in NPL TAS) Clarence: 3-2-5 (sixth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Kingborough: Adam Mckeown (6) Clarence: Riley Dillon (4)
Last time they met: Clarence 1-2 Kingborough
Preview:
They have won two games in a row for the first time, and Clarence may find themselves in the perfect storm for a third on the trot against the Kingborough. It has been a horror week for the Lions—after a gruelling trip to Devonport last weekend they were forced to play a mid-week cup replay that saw them eliminated at the hands of South Hobart, with a red card and suspension to Chris Downes the icing on a truly awful cake. This will be their third game in the space of a week, and it will be interesting to see if Jez Kenth’s can find any wriggle room to rotate players through his squad. Not long ago this would have been viewed as a matchup open to resting some stars, but the Zebras have hit form in the second half of the season and look primed for a late run up the ladder. In fact, they could draw to within one point of the Lions with a win here. Riley Dillon has found his shooting boots and should be the focus of plenty of defensive attention, and his fellow senior players have continued to lift and take their teammates along with them.
Key player: Phil Kantzos, Kingborough Lions
The Lions will need to find some midfield creativity from somewhere in the absence of Downes, and Kantzos could be one player to step up and fill the void. He has plenty of tricks when on the ball but has lacked the consistency to truly nail down a role in the Kingborough lineup. This could be a golden opportunity to take that next step.