Riverside Olympic vs Launceston City
Date: Friday July 2
Venue: Windsor Park
Kick-off: 7:30 PM
2021 record Riverside Olympic: 0-2-8 (eighth in NPL TAS) Launceston City: 2-1-7 (seventh in NPL TAS)
Top scorers Riverside Olympic: Fletcher Fulton (5) Launceston City: Yasin Mohammadi (3)
Preview:
It's a Friday night derby to open round 12, with Riverside Olympic and Launceston City desperate for bragging rights and points in the bank. Riverside looked to be home when the two sides last met, taking an early a 2-0 lead, but City stormed back late to claim a dramatic win. Riverside suffered a tough loss to Glenorchy last round, but they were missing several key players through suspension and injury. There were plenty of promising signs the week before against Kingborough, and they will be hoping to re-discover some of that form against City. Top scorers Fletcher Fulton and Tom Prince should return to the lineup, and they will need all of that firepower against a stubborn Launceston lineup. There are still issues at the other end of the field, where they have conceded a league-high 34 goals, and with City struggling to score themselves at times this season that could be where the game is won and lost. For all of City's issues in attack, they have started to produce some results in recent weeks. Their last three games feature a win over Olympia, a narrow loss to Devonport and a draw with South Hobart. They will need this game to be a defensive grind, as they still have just eight goals for the season. Yasin Mohammadi hit the scoresheet last week and he will need to be a consistent source of goals if City hope the climb the ladder at all. He can't do it alone, though, and that was clear last round where a goal from Gediminas Krusa proved to be the difference. Who will step up tonight on the big stage?Key player: Fletcher Fulton, Riverside Olympic
In round ten, Fulton helped to inspire Riverside to a lead against Kingborough before he was sent off and they limped home for a draw. That is what he and his team can be at their best, and he will be crucial again here as they continue to look for their first win of the season.South Hobart vs Glenorchy Knights
Date: Saturday July 3
Venue: Darcy Street
Kick-off: 2:00 PM
2021 record South Hobart: 6-3-1 (third in NPL TAS) Glenorchy Knights: 8-2-0 (first in NPL TAS)
Top scorers South Hobart: Nick Morton (9) Glenorchy Knights: Nick Mearns (8)
Preview:
This shaped as a title decider early in the season, but as Glenorchy have soared and built a lead at the top of the table, South have slipped and are at risk of falling out of the race. South took an early 2-0 lead last week against the Lions, but they couldn't hold on and had to settle for a draw as they fell further behind the top two. That continued a tough month of results for Ken Morton's side, headlined by a loss to Devonport and a surprising draw against Launceston City. One positive has been the return to form of Kasper Hallam, as he has scored four goals in his last two games. With pace to burn and creative midfielders feeding him, he could cause plenty of issues for the Knights defence. South's backline has been stingy itself for much of the year, but conceding three goals to the Lions was a worrying sign. Speaking of strong defences, the Knights have allowed a league-low nine goals this year en route to the top of the table. That complements a forward line that also leads the league, with their 37 goals scored well ahead of any other side. Basically, the Knights are strong in every aspect and one of the most complete sides in recent memory. Having said that, they have dropped points twice already this season, and this is the type of matchup that could swing quickly with the talent on the opposing side. It's hard to bet against a team that continues to churn out productive players, though, with two first-time scorers in last week's rout over Riverside.Key player: Nick Morton, South Hobart
The South skipper has always been a barometer for his team, and that goes doubly against a team as talented as Glenorchy. He will need to be at his dynamic best if South are to break down the league's top defence.Olympia Warriors vs Devonport Strikers
Date: Saturday July 3
Venue: Warrior Park
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2021 record Olympia Warriors: 3-2-5 (fifth in NPL TAS) Devonport Strikers: 8-1-2 (second in NPL TAS)
Top scorers Olympia Warriors: Kyle Vincent (8) Devonport Strikers: Brody Denehey (11)
Preview:
Olympia struggled through a trip to Launceston last week and slumped to a surprising loss, and things won't get any easier when they welcome the high-flying Strikers to Warrior Park. The Warriors have impressed for stretches of the season and climbed above the pack at the foot of the table, but last round's loss to Launceston City was a step in the wrong direction. Still, slip-ups like that will happen with such a young lineup, and a strong showing against the Strikers would quickly wipe that from the memory. Kyle Vincent scored again despite the loss, continuing an outstanding season which has seen him account for almost half of his side's total goals. Someone else will need to step up against a notoriously tough Strikers defence, and without Austin Yost it's hard to pinpoint exactly who that might be. There is plenty of talent in their lineup, and this is the perfect opportunity for someone to announce themselves to the league. For Devonport, winning games like these is non-negotiable if they want to stay in the title race. There's no reason to think they will slip up here, with six straight league wins in the books and no losses since mid-April. There is less margin for error, though, when all but one of those wins have come by just one or two goals. They may need Brody Denehey to continue scoring at his current torrid pace, with eight goals in his last five games moving him to the top of the golden boot leaderboard. Even one goal is enough for the Strikers most weeks, though, as they have conceded less than a goal a game across the season.Key player: Jake Hayers, Olympia Warriors
Hayers has impressed in his first season with the Warriors, and he will be crucial if they are to force a result here. Devonport do not usually create chances in bulk, so if Hayers can keep them at bay when they do venture forward he will give his side a chance.Kingborough Lions vs Clarence Zebras
Date: Saturday July 3
Venue: Lightwood Park
Kick-off: 6:30 PM
2021 record Kingborough Lions: 5-2-4 (fourth in NPL TAS) Clarence Zebras: 2-1-7 (sixth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers Kingborough Lions: Adam McKeown (9) Clarence Zebras: Riley Dillon (10)
Preview:
For the second straight week the Lions will host NPL action under lights, with the Clarence Zebras travelling across the Derwent to finish round 12. As has been the case in recent seasons, the Lions have been infuriatingly inconsistent in 2021. Even within individual games their form has fluctuated, as they have needed late comebacks to salvage draws in both of their last two games. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why this is the case, but they will need to find a solution if they want to improve their standing by the end of the season. They certainly have the weapons to do so, with Adam McKeown continuing to fire up forward, Kobe Kemp and Jack Turner bringing the muscle in the midfield, and a smattering of young talent across the park. On paper that alone should be enough in this matchup, but the Lions have proven time and again that the game is not played on the team sheet. The Zebras have shown plenty of fight over the last two rounds, losing to both South Hobart and Devonport by a single goal. Despite those improvements, they still sit level on points with seventh-placed Launceston City, and they desperately need to start finding some results to stay clear of the bottom two. They will have their chances against the Lions, but with a talented attacking line against them their defence could struggle. They have leaked three goals per game this season, and with no clear solution in sight they could continue to struggle in closing out results. Riley Dillon has been excellent in attack and will always give 110% to the cause, but at some point he will need to find some help from somewhere.Key player: Ben Hamlett, Kingborough
Despite playing sporadically this season, Hamlett is still Kingborough's second leading scorer with three goals. He hit the scoresheet last week against South Hobart, and if he is on song here he and McKeown may overwhelm the Zebras defence.