All eyes will turn to Valley Road on Saturday for the Lakoseljac Cup Final rematch and a potentially season defining game between the Devonport Strikers and South Hobart.
The massive encounter will go a long way towards determining the 2019 NPL TAS title with Devonport currently sitting on top of the table, with a five point buffer to second placed Olympia, and sit eight points clear of South who have a game in hand. So if Devonport were to win and widen that gap up to 11 points it would get incredibly tough for South to reel them in. If South win however then it tightens right back up and we have a wide open race.
The game is set to be played in front of a sea of pink, with this game being the inaugural McGrath Foundation Pink Game, to help raise funds for breast cancer awareness. Strikers goalkeeper Nathan Pitchford has been the driving force behind the Pink game, with everyone who comes along to the game urged to wear some pink coloured clothing or accessories. The teams will be wearing special strips for the occasion, and even the referees flags and whistle will be coloured pink.
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Kit allocations for the match[/caption]
Cheering the draw will be the side sat between them in Olympia, who face a tough game of their own to negotiate, heading up to Buckby Landrover Park to take on Launceston City. The sides met at the same venue earlier in the season, where it took a late Mulungula goal to sneak a 1-0 win. Those away games to Buckby on what is likely to be a very heavy pitch given the forecast are never easy and whilst City were below their best against the Zebras last weekend, their form has picked up since the last time these sides met. This is a game Olympia need to win if they are to harbour serious title ambitions but City are more than capable, after all they have a striker who can win them games in Mies and a goalie who can steal games in Lachie Clark.
Kicking off at the same time down in the South is the Glenorchy Knights v Kingborough Lions game that is looming as a bit of a battle for fifth place. With the Zebras now solidifying their top four place, it seems likely these two sides and City will battle it out for fifth place in the run home. So each head to head between those sides is going to be key. It's the Lions who enter this one in the better form with the Knights having dropped their past 3 games, whilst the Lions have won their past two under new boss Jez Kenth. Both sides are as strong as they have been all year and so this is an intriguing game that should be a very tightly contested one.
Finally on the Sunday, the Hobart Zebras look to build on last weeks promising performance against Launceston City, as they take on another Northern opposition in Riverside Olympic. They will have the advantage of home field this time however as the Roos try to snap a losing streak of four games. Away games to top four sides haven't been kind to the competition newcomers and they will need to remain tight at the back to contain a Zebras team who looked razor sharp attacking from wide areas last weekend.
Saturday 29 June
Devonport v South Hobart, 2:15pm, Valley Road
Launceston City v Olympia, 4:30pm, Buckby Land Rover Park 1
Glenorchy Knights v Kingborough, 4:30pm, KGV Football Park
Sunday 30 June
Hobart Zebras v Riverside Olympic, 2:15pm, KGV Football Park
Kit allocations for the match[/caption]
Cheering the draw will be the side sat between them in Olympia, who face a tough game of their own to negotiate, heading up to Buckby Landrover Park to take on Launceston City. The sides met at the same venue earlier in the season, where it took a late Mulungula goal to sneak a 1-0 win. Those away games to Buckby on what is likely to be a very heavy pitch given the forecast are never easy and whilst City were below their best against the Zebras last weekend, their form has picked up since the last time these sides met. This is a game Olympia need to win if they are to harbour serious title ambitions but City are more than capable, after all they have a striker who can win them games in Mies and a goalie who can steal games in Lachie Clark.
Kicking off at the same time down in the South is the Glenorchy Knights v Kingborough Lions game that is looming as a bit of a battle for fifth place. With the Zebras now solidifying their top four place, it seems likely these two sides and City will battle it out for fifth place in the run home. So each head to head between those sides is going to be key. It's the Lions who enter this one in the better form with the Knights having dropped their past 3 games, whilst the Lions have won their past two under new boss Jez Kenth. Both sides are as strong as they have been all year and so this is an intriguing game that should be a very tightly contested one.
Finally on the Sunday, the Hobart Zebras look to build on last weeks promising performance against Launceston City, as they take on another Northern opposition in Riverside Olympic. They will have the advantage of home field this time however as the Roos try to snap a losing streak of four games. Away games to top four sides haven't been kind to the competition newcomers and they will need to remain tight at the back to contain a Zebras team who looked razor sharp attacking from wide areas last weekend.
Saturday 29 June
Devonport v South Hobart, 2:15pm, Valley Road
Launceston City v Olympia, 4:30pm, Buckby Land Rover Park 1
Glenorchy Knights v Kingborough, 4:30pm, KGV Football Park
Sunday 30 June
Hobart Zebras v Riverside Olympic, 2:15pm, KGV Football Park