https://youtu.be/TIRnQzqp1A4
It was far from a walk in the park, but the Devonport Strikers maintained their lead at the top of the NPL Tasmania table with a 1-0 win over Riverside Olympic at Valley Road.
The matchup between the state's two best goalkeepers lived up to its billing, with a second-half Raph Reynolds penalty all that could separate the two sides. Riverside gloveman Jarrod Hill looked unlikely to be beaten in any other fashion, while his Strikers counterpart Nathan Pitchford was as reliable as ever in tallying another clean sheet. Devonport dominated the play for much of the afternoon, but Hill's excellence and some scrappy defending from his teammates made them sweat right up until the final whistle.
The Strikers were on the front foot from the outset, and as always it was Joel Stone pulling the strings as they looked to strike early. A trio of chances in the first ten minutes started with his play on the ball, but each time Hill was able to keep them at bay. At the other end it took more than 15 minutes before Riverside could muster a real forward push, with Pitchford forced to come off his line and smother the effort of Fletcher Fulton.
While Devonport did the bulk of the attacking before the break, both sides went close to opening the scoring. Fullback Connor Parke almost continued his golden goal scoring form, chesting down a raking pass from Stone before his shot was saved by the diving Hill, while Aaron Campbell saw a curling free kick tipped over the crossbar by Pitchford. The hosts led the shot count and the possession share at the break, but they went in level on the scoreboard and struggling at times to consistently threaten the goal.
It was a similar story after the restart, with the ball staying in Devonport's forward half for long stretches without any real attacking thrust. Riverside were restricted to occasional moves on the counter, but despite that they looked just as likely to take the lead.
That lasted right up until the final 20 minutes, when what looked like a huge slice of luck handed the Strikers the lead. After collecting a loose ball at the corner of the penalty area Stone looked to weave his way closer to goal. He managed to beat his marker and drive into the area, before seemingly losing his footing as a second defender approached. There was minimal contact if any, but the referee pointed to the spot amidst the pleading of the Riverside players and coaches. Reynolds stepped up to take the penalty, and while Hill dived the right way he couldn't keep it out low and in the corner.
Now left chasing a result against a superior team, Riverside struggled to press for an equaliser. It was the Strikers that looked more likely to double their lead, with both Stone and Gianluca Pizzirani denied by diving saves from Hill. Olympic did manage to muster one final chance in the game's dying seconds, with Nathan Pitchford caught off his line after a clearing punch, but Max Reissig's shot drifted well over the top. The final whistle came seconds later, sealing a nervy win and an important three points for the league leaders. They will stay at home and host the Kingborough Lions next round, while Riverside will look to bounce back with a winnable contest against the Clarence Zebras.