It was a grind at times, but the Devonport Strikers have moved six points clear at the top of the NPL Tasmania table with a 1-0 win over the Glenorchy Knights at Valley Road.
Up against their nearest challenger and the league's top scoring attack, the Strikers were able to maintain their flawless record this season thanks largely to a rock-solid defensive performance. A first-half goal from fullback Connor Parke gave them the lead, but it was goalkeeper Nathan Pitchford that won the day with a handful of reflex saves to keep the Knights at bay. The visitors were far from disgraced as they had the bulk of the shots on goal and plenty of close chances, but they struggled at times to find the attacking flow and freedom that has been their trademark this year.
That certainly didn't look to be a problem early in the contest, as scoring chances came thick and fast in the first ten minutes. It was an early display of individual brilliance, as Joel Stone for the Strikers and Joffrey Nkoso and Connor Schmidt for the Knights took their turns to skip through the opposing defence and fire on goal. Nkoso and Schmidt both looked likely to open the scoring in Knights favour, but both were denied by brilliant saves from Pitchford. The competition's premier gloveman was under pressure from the outset but responded brilliantly, getting down to tip one shot off the post before springing up to send the next over the crossbar moments later.
They couldn't keep up that pace, but the Knights continued to look dangerous throughout the opening exchanges. Nkoso in particular was at his dynamic best as they looked to isolate him on the wing, but his shooting was as wayward as his footwork was brilliant. His side came to rue their missed chances on the half hour mark, and as is so often the case for the Strikers, their breakthrough started with a Joel Stone free kick. Playing in his 100th game for the club, the reigning league best and fairest curled a ball to back post that was headed back across the goal. It bounced around the penalty area until Parke flashed through and thumped it into the back of the net.
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IC-Solstice Photography[/caption]
Two minutes later Knights were again just centimetres away from equalising, but again denied by the woodwork. This time it was Alessandro Bellini hitting a spectacular volley that thumped off the post and stayed out. The visitors continued to press right up until the break, with Pitchford called into action for a pair of simple saves, but they couldn't find a breakthrough and went into the sheds behind. Still, coach James Sherman would have been hard-pressed to find too much criticism given his side had looked the more likely to score for much of the half.
It seemed like that would continue after the restart, as Nkoso and Nicholas Naden found space to shoot early. Both were wayward once again, though, and from that point on chances would prove to be much harder to come by. The Strikers dictated the play entirely from the hour mark on, and while they didn't threaten to extend their lead they stifled every effort from the Knights to move the ball forward. It was a trademark display from the defending champions as they defended their lead by keeping the ball moving, only attacking when the opportunity was there and defending with vigour on the rare occasion they lost the ball. Both sides could only muster speculative efforts on goal that were easily kept out or wide of the target.
There was almost one final twist in the contest in stoppage time, as a wide free kick for the Knights was delivered low to the top of the area. Somehow it bounced all the way to the back post, and while they managed to fire a shot in traffic it was at chest height and easily saved by Pitchford. The Strikers could have sealed the win in the dying seconds, but Daniel Syson saw a one-on-one effort saved by Hart before Bidwell fired the rebound effort wide of an open net.
Still, that brought the game to a close with their lead in tact, allowing them to bank the three points and move comfortably clear at the top of the table. That could be a decisive lead in a shortened season, and it leaves the Knights and the rest of the chasing pack hoping for a slip-up or two somewhere along the way.
https://youtu.be/4LZpdqKczug
IC-Solstice Photography[/caption]
Two minutes later Knights were again just centimetres away from equalising, but again denied by the woodwork. This time it was Alessandro Bellini hitting a spectacular volley that thumped off the post and stayed out. The visitors continued to press right up until the break, with Pitchford called into action for a pair of simple saves, but they couldn't find a breakthrough and went into the sheds behind. Still, coach James Sherman would have been hard-pressed to find too much criticism given his side had looked the more likely to score for much of the half.
It seemed like that would continue after the restart, as Nkoso and Nicholas Naden found space to shoot early. Both were wayward once again, though, and from that point on chances would prove to be much harder to come by. The Strikers dictated the play entirely from the hour mark on, and while they didn't threaten to extend their lead they stifled every effort from the Knights to move the ball forward. It was a trademark display from the defending champions as they defended their lead by keeping the ball moving, only attacking when the opportunity was there and defending with vigour on the rare occasion they lost the ball. Both sides could only muster speculative efforts on goal that were easily kept out or wide of the target.
There was almost one final twist in the contest in stoppage time, as a wide free kick for the Knights was delivered low to the top of the area. Somehow it bounced all the way to the back post, and while they managed to fire a shot in traffic it was at chest height and easily saved by Pitchford. The Strikers could have sealed the win in the dying seconds, but Daniel Syson saw a one-on-one effort saved by Hart before Bidwell fired the rebound effort wide of an open net.
Still, that brought the game to a close with their lead in tact, allowing them to bank the three points and move comfortably clear at the top of the table. That could be a decisive lead in a shortened season, and it leaves the Knights and the rest of the chasing pack hoping for a slip-up or two somewhere along the way.
https://youtu.be/4LZpdqKczug