Two teams face a pivotal fixture in the fight for Statewide survival on Saturday.
With the bottom two NPL Tasmania sides facing relegation to regional championships at the end of the season, South East United and Ulverstone know their encounter could go a long way towards deciding who stays up.
Launceston United currently separate the adversaries in a bottom three that has recorded just one win in eight rounds.
However, that solitary success was South East’s remarkable 6-4 win at Birch Avenue in their previous match, and the Sorell newcomers are keen to build on that momentum.
United captain Nic Zammit said the 10-goal thriller, which delivered his club’s first Statewide points, would go down in their folklore.
“It was just an incredible game, fantastic for the neutral fan,” he said.
“It was fantastic for the group to rally and get a win and kind of springboard off that now, hopefully.”
Zammit embraced the pressure of possible relegation.
“To be honest, I love it. I think it is fantastic. The Southern Championship has been a fantastic competition, but it really has been a competition that we've dominated the last couple of years.
“I hate to say it because I hate losing, but I would almost rather lose 1-0 than win 10-0. So, the opportunity to come in each week, be an underdog, and play against the best players in the state — I think everyone at the club is really enjoying that at the moment.
“We were well aware of the challenges that would be posed to us coming in. We’re a relatively new club in the grand scheme of things. But I think we've risen to the challenge. I think we've shown we deserve to be at this level, and the reality now is that we've got to get those points to ensure we get another opportunity next year.”
Ulverstone’s only point to date also came against Launceston United in a round-three draw, and coach Michael Amos said the introduction of relegation has fundamentally changed the league dynamic.
“It’s a huge difference, obviously, because you need points to get yourself out of that relegation zone,” he said.
“It does make it a more competitive league. It makes everybody continually try to improve what they're doing, which can only be good for football.
“Of course there's pressure — it's a fact. It's where we're at at the moment. So I guess it's just about staying focused.”
The bottom three also have uncannily similar goal differences of -22, -23 and -28, with only seventh-placed Glenorchy within realistic catching distance.
Amos added: “You've got to beat the sides around you, and then you've got to try and get something out of the sides just above you. So it's just a game-by-game thing.
“It has to be about short-term gains right now. We have to get points. We have to improve as quickly as we can, but it's also going to take time to get us to that point.”
In the Women’s Super League, eighth plays third as Riverside Olympic host free-scoring Glenorchy.
The Knights’ only losses have come against the top two, including last weekend’s cup semi-final against Devonport, and coach Ivica Bolonja believes his side are getting closer to challenging the competition duopoly.
“The challenge that we set for this group at the beginning of the year was to consistently challenge the top two teams,” he said.
“Last week against Devonport in the cup, we were 1-0 up. We were well and truly in the game. A couple of mistakes led to a 2-1 loss, but the signs are there that we're making significant strides.
“The group went in with a genuine belief that they were going to win that game. And I haven't seen that in the three years that I've been coaching the team. So there's been both a technical, physical and mental shift in the group.”
Glenorchy have bagged at least five goals on six occasions this season, including their opening-round 5-0 win at Windsor Park. However, after being kept goalless for more than an hour in that match, Bolonja was taking nothing for granted.
“Riverside set up really well, and we've had a lot of really good games against them. I think last year Riverside went into the sheds 2-0 up, and we managed to scrape home with a 3-2 win. They seem to bring a very well-organised, good brand of football when they play against us.”
With just one point to their name, Olympic have scored only twice this season but struck the woodwork twice in their last match against South Hobart and look more potent with captain Meg Connolly reverting to her familiar role up front.
“It's going to be challenging, because they are playing a very fast brand of football,” Riverside assistant coach Tim West said.
“But it's also about how we defend that and get it back on our terms, and how we want to play. I think we showed against South Hobart a couple of weeks ago in our last game that there were a lot more attacking chances.”
West said it remained a conundrum where to play the dangerous Connolly, who routinely enjoyed 30-goal seasons in the Women’s Northern Championship.
“It is a week-by-week prospect, and it does depend on where Meg really wants to play as well. I have noticed since she's made the move up forward, she's actually been a lot happier in herself, and it's created more chances. So, personally, I think it's a really good move. But it's about getting those numbers through the midfield to be able to get that ball down to her as well.”
McDonald's NPL Tasmania, Round 9
Saturday, May 23
- 2.30pm South East United v Ulverstone, South East Complex
- 2.30pm Clarence v Kingborough, Wentworth Park
- 2.30pm Riverside Olympic v South Hobart, Windsor Park
- 4.45pm Launceston United v Glenorchy, Birch Avenue Kemlec Park
Sunday, May 24
- 2.30pm Launceston City v Devonport, Prospect Vale Community Bank Deloraine & Districts Park
McDonald's Women's Super League, Round 8
Saturday, May 23
- 12.15pm Launceston United v South Hobart, Birch Avenue Kemlec Park
- 2.30pm Taroona v Devonport, Kelvedon Park
- 4.45pm Riverside Olympic v Glenorchy, Windsor Park
Sunday, May 24
- 2pm Kingborough v Launceston City