The Olympia Warriors have moved into top spot and ramped up the pressure on the Devonport Strikers with a tight 2-1 win over Glenorchy.
Olympia knew going into Friday night's clash that a win would move them into first, and while the Strikers could reclaim that lead today the Warriors would have slept well last night knowing they're still well and truly in the title race. A man of the match performance and two goals from Jack Ryan helped them to recover from a horror start and claim a crucial three points in challenging conditions.
On an icy night and with strong winds blowing across Warrior Park, the home side looked lethargic in the early going and struggled to move the ball forward. Those problems paled in comparison just four minutes in, though, as a blunder at the back saw them concede a very early goal.
Looking to play the ball out from the back, an attempted pass to the goalkeeper from Jono Ladic fell well short and was pounced upon by Glenorchy's Declan Brown. Left one-on-one with 'keeper Kyle McDonald, he dribbled past and finished into an open net to steal an unexpected lead for the Knights.
After that frantic start, genuine chances were few and far between for much of the first half. The Warriors had more possession and tried to knock the ball around in the midfield but struggled to execute, while the Knights defended solidly but turned the ball over time and time again as they tried to play it long.
Those long balls did sometimes pay dividends, though, as Glenorchy threatened on the counter on occasion. A stinging volley from Brown forced McDonald to save low, before a brilliant block from Olympia defender Bay Kurtz denied what looked like a certain goal for Nic Naden.
Just five minutes later and in the shadows of half time, the Warriors had their first shot on target and their first goal to equalise. A raking cross from Kurtz on the left made it to Ryan deep in the penalty area, and he did well to chest it down before blasting a shot past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
While momentum was with the Warriors heading into the break, it swung back around sharply after the restart as the Knights looked lively early. A mad scramble from a corner saw a trio of shots just barely kept out, while McDonald was forced into another tidy save from an Aaron Marney strike.
With Glenorchy pressing high up the field and looking dangerous in attack, the Warriors needed someone to step up and change the contest. With one goal already to his name, Ryan showed his class with a brilliant finish to steal the lead against the run of play.
A clearance from Olympia's backline bobbled and bounced into their attacking third, evading the Knights defence and landing in the path of Ryan. Rather than take a touch, he instead hit a first-time volley that rocketed well past the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.
With half an hour still left to chase the game the Knights continued to press forward in even greater numbers, leading to the most open stretch of play for both sides. Inside a ten-minute stretch both Olympia and Glenorchy had arguably their best chances of the game, and yet somehow the score remained the same.
For the Warriors, substitute Mark Ortmann submitted his best effort for Miss of the Season as his open header from point-blank ranged somehow bounced off the post and out. At the other end, it took a stunning full-stretch dive and save from McDonald to deny an Alex Leszczynski header that looked destined for the top corner.
Those chances promised a thrilling finish, but the game didn't quite deliver as the last ten minutes came and went with very little to report. The Warriors showed their class with a combination of steady possession and subtle time wasting tactics, and that saw them make it to the final whistle with a 2-1 victory and three points secured.
They'll now look ahead to a season-defining fortnight of football, with games against fellow contenders South Hobart and Devonport set to test their title credentials.
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