Devonport vs South Hobart
Date: Saturday August 8
Venue: Valley Road
Kick-off: 2:00 PM
2020 record: Devonport 3-0-0 (first in NPL TAS), South Hobart 2-0-1 (fourth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Devonport: Brody Denehey (2) South Hobart: Kasper Hallam (3)
The two most successful teams in the modern statewide league look set for another blockbuster this weekend. After starting the season with three wins in as many tries, the Strikers will look to charge ahead of the pack as they host South Hobart in round four. The defending champions have barely put a foot wrong in their title defence thus far—the only possible criticism is that they’ve won every game by a single goal, despite playing the bottom three sides on the NPL TAS table. Still, wins are wins, and the forward pairing of Miles Barnard and Brody Denehy look to have found their shooting boots last round. The young South Hobart defence will have their hands full, but Ken Morton will be desperate for his side to keep touch with the ladder leaders after dropping their first points last week. The likely loss of leading scorer Kasper Hallam to an ankle injury is a big blow at the other end of the field, but Andy Brennan’s return from suspension should ease the pain. It’s never wise to rule out South, but Devonport’s record at Valley Road suggests this will be a very tough task.Kingborough vs Launceston City
Date: Saturday August 8
Venue: Lightwood Park
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2020 record: Kingborough 2-1-0 (second in NPL TAS), Launceston City 0-0-3 (seventh in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Kingborough: Chris Downes, Adam McKeown (2) Launceston City: Samuel Ridgard (3)
After finishing side by side on the table and well outside of the title race in 2019, these two sides have gone in opposite directions in the early going this season. It may feel surprising to see Kingborough undefeated and in second place, but they found their feet late last season under new coach Jez Kenth. That form has carried over into the new year, with a few key additions also playing their part on the field. Adam McKeown was the match-winner last week, with a goal of the season contender, an assist and a penalty won putting him on the radar for opposing defences. He will surely like his chances against a Launceston City defence that has given up seven goals in three games, tied for the most in the league. Coach Roger Hardwicke spoke during the week about his team’s tendency to give away soft goals, and with an injury cloud over goalkeeper Lachy Clark and experienced centre-back Lindsay Millington, they’ll have to work doubly hard to remedy that.Olympia vs Riverside Olympic
Date: Saturday August 8
Venue: Warrior Park
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2020 record: Olympia 0-0-3 (eighth in NPL TAS), Riverside 1-1-1 (fifth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Olympia: Jack Ryan, Callum Brown, Declan Brown (1) Riverside: Nil Sanz (2)
What to make of the Warriors? They pushed Devonport all the way in last season’s title race and again in their round three matchup, and yet they now sit at the foot of the table without a single point. There’s no doubting that they still have plenty of quality on the park every week, with the arrival of Callum and Declan Brown helping to offset their offseason departures. Both twins hit the scoreboard last week, but they’ll need to find a little more support soon or their title chances could already be gone. Riverside’s record could easily have been better or worse, with all three of their games going down to the wire. Last round it was an 87th minute goal Aaron Kidmas that gave them their first win of the season, after they were the only side thus far to take points from Kingborough while also pushing Devonport right to the final whistle. Both of these sides could be anything on their day, and it may come down to one or two players stepping up to split the difference.Glenorchy Knights vs Clarence Zebras
Date: Saturday August 8
Venue: KGV
Kick-off: 4:30 PM
2020 record: Glenorchy Knights 2-0-1 (third in NPL TAS), Clarence Zebras 1-0-2 (sixth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers: Glenorchy Knights: Alex Walter (2) Clarence Zebras: Jayden Hey, Lachie Burt (1)
One team on the rise, one team rebuilding, and they’ll meet at the crossroads in round four. An injection of talent over the break has worked wonders for the Knights, and they will look to stamp their papers as a genuine contender with a third win in a row this weekend. Their one loss, an upset against Kingborough in round one, looks a lot less damning with the Lions now in second and with the two wins that have followed. New faces Alex Walter and Joffrey Nkoso have had an immediate impact up forward, and with a youthful squad the Zebras will need Jayden Hey to lead from the backline if they are to quash the threat. It’s been a tough start for the league’s newest club, with two close losses in a row halting any early-season momentum, and this shapes as a must-win game if they want to keep touch with the top four. They’ll need some of their lesser lights to keep improving, but it’s the senor core of Hey, Luke Huigsloot and Riley Dillon that still holds the key to their success.