Devonport Strikers vs Clarence Zebras
Date: Saturday October 10
Venue: Valley Road
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2020 record: Devonport: 10-1-0 (first in NPL TAS) Clarence: 3-2-6 (sixth in NPL TAS)
Top scorer: Devonport: Brody Denehey (5) Clarence: Riley Dillon (4)
Last time they met: Clarence 0-2 Devonport
Preview:
Another week, another tight win, and another step closer to the title for the Devonport Strikers. They can just about touch the trophy with three games left, but there is still time for the likes of the Clarence Zebras to trip them up and keep things interesting. Devonport’s 2-1 win over Olympia last round was the type of performance that is quickly becoming their trademark—they were dominant in general play, but just barely scraped home on the scoreboard. Even more impressive is that they did so after falling behind early, recovering from a Warriors goal inside the first ten minutes. There is an art to grinding out wins and it is one that Chris Gallo and his side have mastered this season. The Zebras looked to finally be finding some consistency with back-to-back wins in rounds nine and ten, but a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of the Lions last week brought them crashing back to earth with a thud. Still, there have been signs of positive progress as their debut season has gone on and a strong performance against the Strikers would be a huge confidence boost heading into their final two games. They are yet to win a game in the north of the state, and the trip to Valley Road is far from the easiest time to break that duck.
Key player: Joel Stone, Devonport Strikers
Every time the Strikers have struggled to find a decisive goal, Stone has stepped up and sparked his side into action. There’s a reason he has been often recognised as the best player in the state, and he could run riot on Saturday against an inexperience Zebras side.
Launceston City vs Olympia Warriors
Date: Saturday October 10
Venue: Buckby Land Rover Park
Kick-off: 4:30 PM
2020 record: Launceston: 1-1-9 (eighth in NPL TAS) Olympia: 5-1-5 (fourth in NPL TAS)
Top scorer: Launceston: Samuel Ridgard (6) Olympia: Jack Ryan/Declan Brown (6)
Last time they met: Olympia 2-1 Launceston City
Preview:
Better late than never! Launceston City claimed their first win of the season last round, and they will look to double their tally when they host the Olympia Warriors on Saturday. City chose the perfect week to break their drought, with their 3-1 win over Riverside giving them bragging rights in the final northern derby of the season. They now sit just one point behind their cross-town foes, and a result here would be another step towards climbing off the foot of the ladder. Unsurprisingly, it was captain Samuel Ridgard that was the match-winner with an impressive brace, and he remains the danger man for opposition defences to target. Olympia’s backline has been a little shaky in recent weeks, conceding seven goals in their last three games despite playing two bottom-half sides in that span. They were impressive last round against the Strikers, though, stealing an early lead and only relinquishing it after more than an hour of constant pressure. Goals should be easier to come by against City, who may struggle to deal with the wealth of creative talent that the Warriors possess.
Key player: Rob Gerrard, Launceston City
He spent some time in goal last round after a red card to Lachlan Clark, but Gerrard will be needed back in the outfield against a talented Olympia midfield. With the two-way running needed to impact the game at both ends, he will need to find a way to stifle the opposition playmaking while also creating chances in attack. It’s a big ask, but he is more than capable of delivering.
Glenorchy Knights vs Riverside Olympic
Date: Saturday October 10
Venue: KGV Football Park
Kick-off: 4:30 PM
2020 record: Glenorchy: 8-1-2 (second in NPL TAS) Riverside: 1-2-8 (seventh in NPL TAS)
Top scorer: Glenorchy: Alex Walter (11) Riverside: Nil Sanz (5)
Last time they met: Riverside 0-2 Glenorchy
Preview:
Is the title now out of Glenorchy’s reach? It’s certainly out of their control, as a 1-1 draw with South Hobart last week has left them relying on Devonport dropping points somewhere along the way. All they can do is win their remaining games, and that starts when they host Riverside in round 12. The end-to-end nature of the matchup with South should have suited the Knights, but they were uncharacteristically poor in the final third. Some of that was down to a strong showing from Mark Moncur in goal, but at their clinical best and only needing two goals to win, that wouldn’t have mattered. Saturday’s game presents a perfect opportunity for a bounce-back performance up against a Riverside lineup that has conceded a league-high 28 goals this season. Olympic would be keen to bounce back strongly after giving Launceston City their first win of the season, but they will be up against it on the road and against the most dangerous attacking side in the league. They are expecting to regain some much-needed experience this week, with captain Taylor Nielson a chance to return from injury after playing for the reserves last week. Still, given their focus on youth and development this season, a competitive performance here may be enough to satisfy.
Key player: Jarrod Hill, Riverside
Despite his age and relative inexperience, Hill has already built an impressive resume of big performances. Capable of acrobatic saves as well as all of the fundamentals, the teenage gloveman will have the chance to strut his stuff once again against Glenorchy’s free-flowing attack.
Kingborough Lions vs South Hobart
Date: Saturday October 10
Venue: Lightwood Park
Kick-off: 6:30 PM
2020 record: Kingborough: 5-3-3 (third in NPL TAS) South Hobart: 5-1-5 (fifth in NPL TAS)
Top scorer: Kingborough: Adam Mckeown (6) South Hobart: Kasper Hallam (7)
Last time they met: South Hobart 5-0 Kingborough
Preview:
The battle for third place rages on with both of these sides and Olympia all within two points of each other. Kingborough leapfrogged South last round with a dominant 5-2 win over Clarence United in a game they never looked like losing. That was a welcome return to form for Jez Kenth’s side, who had lost their last two outings with a combined 10-1 scoreline. Granted, that was against the league’s top two teams, and it has become clear as the season has worn on that the Lions sit in the tier below the likes of Devonport and Glenorchy. They would have been glad to see the likes of Keenan Douce and Danny Cowen step up once more against the Zebras, and the return from suspension of Chris Downes will provide another boost. There may be some lingering demons from the first edition of this fixture, though, where South ran away with a 5-0 win at home. They also won both iterations of their Lakoseljac Cup fixture against the Lions, so they would surely be confident heading into round 12. It continues to be an up-and-down season for them, as their impressive display against the Knights last week followed on from a big loss to Olympia. A strong end to the season, and a third-place finish, would paper over some of those cracks heading into the offseason.
Key player: Nick Morton, South Hobart
Morton produced arguably his best performance of the season in his last league game against the Lions, playing a hand in almost every attacking play for his side as they netted five times. He’s a hard man to contain when at his best, but the Lions will need to do so if they want to stay close this time around.