https://youtu.be/37jzTatwVxQ
Riverside Olympic have claimed their first win in the NPL Tasmania competition, and bragging rights over rivals Launceston City, after prevailing 2-1 at Buckby Land Rover Park.
Launceston led the shot count 23-8, the corner count 15-1 and had the lion's share of possession, but goals to Mitch Roberts and Rhys Kinslow saw Riverside finish ahead on the only scoreboard that matters.
It was a cagey start to the game, as Riverside fought against a strong headwind and City looked to take advantage. While the hosts had more of the ball and the play, Riverside did well to restrict them to speculative crosses and shots from distance.
Noah Mies looked dangerous for City from the outset, and his teammates looked to hit his feet whenever possible. That led to some steady build-up play but not much threat on goal until the half hour mark, when a Mies curler and a Greg Roller thunderbolt both went close.
Riverside started to find their footing late in the half with some prolonged possession, but like City struggled to create chances. Despite barely venturing into the forward third, though, they grabbed the initiative and the lead just before the interval.
A long ball from the midfield found the overlap run of Roberts on the left, and he took it deep into the penalty area. His shot beat Lachlan Clark overhead and slammed into the roof of the net to open the scoring.
After returning from the half-time break, Riverside seemed content to try and hold their lead, while City pushed hard for an equaliser.
The trio of Mies, Roller and Jarrod Linger terrorised the Riverside back line, but their wayward shooting let them down on numerous occasions. Roller in particular had a mixed evening-- his creativity on the ball brought about a plethora of chances, but he struggled to hit the target from any range.
Some of that waywardness could be credited to the Riverside defenders. Led by a strong showing from Ethan Olner, they fought tooth and nail in every contest and made Launceston work for every shot on goal. And while their forays forward were limited, Rhys Kinslow looked dangerous on the counter attack and continued to make smart runs forward.
With so much forward pressure, though, the cracks began to show for the visitors. An equaliser felt somewhat inevitable, and Launceston's huge advantage in the corner count finally payed off in the 79th minute. Shane Cartwright's delivery drifted deep into the heart of the box, and Mies timed his leap to perfection to nod the ball home as he reached his apex.
Locked at 1-1 and with just ten minutes left, both sides could have easily packed it in and settled for a draw. With derby bragging rights on the line, though, both pushed hard for a winner in a frantic finish.
With just five minutes left, a 50-50 contest in the Riverside attacking third was brilliantly won by the sliding Liam Gilmore. The ball spilled to the feet of Kinslow, who took it towards the byline and finished superbly from the angle to steal the win for the NPL newcomers.
The last five minutes flew by as Riverside expertly ran the clock down and celebrated their first win since earning promotion into the statewide league. They'll look to make it two in a row against Devenport on Saturday, while Launceston City will keep searching for their first points against Glenorchy.