They were given a frights early, but the Devonport Strikers have moved five points clear on top of the NPL TAS ladder with a 5-2 win over Glenorchy at KGV.
An electric first half from the returning Callum Brown looked to have the Knights in the box seat, but Devonport clawed their way back in front before half time and controlled the game brilliantly from there. Eddie Bidwell, Miles Barnard, Max Fitzgerald and Joel Stone were all outstanding and hit the scoreboard for the Strikers in another crucial result in the NPL TAS title race.
The game started with a flurry as both teams had chances to score in the opening moments. There were ominous signs from some of the game's stars, as a Bidwell chip was only kept out by the post and a stinging Callum Brown blast tested Strikers 'keeper Nathan Pitchford early.
The Knights had the better of the early exchanges, though, and they struck first in what was a frenetic five-minute stretch. A long clearance from defence landed in front of Callum Brown, and he put on the afterburners to beat his man to the ball and power ahead. With no-one able to catch him, he flew into the box and finished tidily past Pitchford to open the scoring.
It was a commanding lead, and for the thirty seconds that it lasted the Knights were in control. Unfortunately for them the reply from the Strikers was immediate and decisive, as they broke down the Glenorchy defence almost from the restart.
Played through down the right, Bidwell drove down the wing and crossed low and behind the defence. His ball made it all the way to the back post, where Fitzgerald was waiting to tap it home and level the scores.
Once again, there was barely time to settle back in and reevaluate the game before the next goal was scored, and again it was the hosts taking the lead. Just four minutes after the Strikers equalised, the Knights re-took the lead through the exciting Callum Brown.
A long cross from the left found Brown at the back of the 18-yard box, and his first touch sent the ball bouncing into the area. As the ball sat in front of him, he hit a ferocious volley that flew past Pitchford and into the opposite side of the net.
The madness continued at either end past the half hour mark, as Callum Brown continued to terrorise the Strikers defence and Barnard came close with another shot denied by the woodwork. From there, though, the tempo slowed and the chances dried up until just before the half-time whistle.
With just minutes left until the break, the Knights could have been forgiven for looking ahead to a well-deserved rest with the lead in hand. That lead was snatched from them with minutes left, though, as a moment of brilliance from Joel Stone drew Devonport level once more.
The Strikers won a free kick just outside the area, and with five players lined up in the wall it was clear Glenorchy knew the danger that was present. Unfortunately for them, the extra fortification did nothing to deter Stone as he hit the perfect curling free kick that dipped over the wall and into the top corner of the net.
Not content to head into the break level, the visitors found time for a second goal in the space of two minutes. A long ball over the defence was brought down well by Barnard, and he had the time and space to rifle a low shot past Dimitri Nester and take a half-time lead for his side.
After the madness of the first half, Devonport showed the temperament that has them perched on top the league table after the restart. They controlled the possession throughout the second half, and while they didn't come as thick and fast as in the first period they had the more likely chances to score.
A third shot off the woodwork, again from the head of Barnard, was the closest they came as the clock ticked past 70 minutes. The Knights continued to look dangerous when they were able to counter, but they struggled to break down the Devonport midfield and find the attacking width that was so successful early.
With the game stuck in a holding pattern, it took a well-deserved slice of luck for the Strikers to break through again. A free kick from Stone was headed goalward by Mulraney, but for the third time the Strikers were denied by the post. This time, though, Barnard was ready to clean up the crumbs, and the Fox in the Box tapped it home to seal his brace and double Devonport's advantage.
Following the pattern of the day, it took just three minutes for the Strikers to add another. After pulling the strings all day, Eddie Bidwell split two defenders, burned them for pace and finished low into the corner to get his name on the scoresheet and put the result beyond doubt.
The Knights let fly with a barrage of long-range attempts in the dying minutes, but they couldn't hit the target or trouble the ever-reliable Pitchford. With an important three points secured, the Strikers ran down the clock and celebrated another successful trip across the state with a final scoreline of 5-2.
They'll be back in the south of the state again next weekend for a matchup with the struggling Clarence, while Glenorchy will face another stern test against South Hobart at Darcy Street.
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