Devonport Strikers seal league and cup double in Tasmania
Devonport Strikers wrapped up the 2022 NPL Tasmania title last Saturday with three games remaining after a 2-0 home win over fifth-placed Launceston City at Valley Road.
The Strikers have thus completed the league and cup double in coach Tom Ballantyne’s first season in charge.It is the fifth time in seven years that the North-West Coast outfit has won the league title, indicating that Devonport is where the power lies in Tasmanian football.
Devonport took a 6th-minute lead against City through a bizarre and simple goal. City keeper Lachlan Clark’s attempted clearance on the right side of the penalty area struck Devonport’s Joel Stone and the ball looped high into the air and came down inside the 6-yeard-box for Brody Denhey to tap home his 7th goal of the season.
The home side lost attacker Ali Dulleh with a dislocated shoulder after a robust tackle by an opponent and he is likely to miss next week’s away-game against South Hobart.
Devonport made the game safe 7 minutes from the end through leading scorer, Roberto Fernandez Garrido.
The Spaniard ran onto a clever back-heel on the right from Denehey and powered a sizzling low drive into the far corner of the net for his 18th goal of the season.
South Hobart are a distant second after downing Kingborough Lions United 3-2 away in a thriller at Clennett’s Lightwood Park on Sunday evening.
A Sunday NPL game is a rare thing these days. It is time that Football Tasmania took a look at their rostering and instituted changes for next season. The NPL match-of-the-round should be on a Sunday as it is a drawcard for spectators and fans alike and is clearly a major attraction for the sport.
South Hobart led 2-0 at half-time, but the Lions clawed their way back into the contest after the break and made it 2-2 just past the hour mark before a late penalty by South Hobart sealed an important win for the visitors.
South Hobart dominated possession in the first half and it’s been a while since I’ve seen an NPL side string together a dozen or more consecutive passes.
This had Kingborough defending desperately as play switched form flank to flank and as South tried to penetrate the home side’s penalty area.
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Nick Morton almost put South ahead with a fierce shot, but Lions keeper Lee Mackie pulled off a superb save when he dived to his left and clawed the ball to safety.
Sam Berezansky broke the deadlock in the 24th minute when he converted a cross from the left at the near post to put the visitors ahead.
On the stroke of half-time, Iskander Van Doorne made it 2-0. He spotted Mackie off his line and, as he cut in from the left a long way out, he sent a looping shot over the keeper and inside the far post.
Kingborough hit back with all they had in the second half and introduced Adam McKeown and Danny Cowen into the fray with good effect and equalised with two goals in four minutes as South teetered on the edge.
Kobe Kemp, a former South Hobart player, reduced the arrears in the 59th minute with a penalty, awarded after Noah Mies was needlessly tripped by goalkeeper Jake Hayers, who was also playing against his former club.
With Kemp, McKeown and Cowen shooting at sight, it was only a matter of time before Kingborough equalised. In the 62nd minute, Kingborough went close to scoring but the chance appeared to have gone, only for Mies to salvage the situation by audaciously hooking the ball into the net from an acute angle on the right.
Both sides continued to attack and South Hobart were left frustrated when they were denied by the off-side flag.
With 6 minutes remaining, South attacked again and a hand-ball by defender Jacob Huigsloot, who stopped an almost certain goal, sealed Kingborough’s fate as Morton netted the spot-kick to give the visitors a 3-2 win.
Glenorchy Knights, who relinquished their title weeks ago, made sure of fourth spot with a 3-1 away win over Clarence Zebras at Wentworth Park in a late afternoon kick-off on Saturday.
Youngster Lucas Dzalakowski netted a brace, while Eli Luttmer, the captain and central defender for Knights, popped up with his almost inevitable goal to make it 9 goals for the season. He is the club’s top scorer this season, which is not bad for a central defender.
Dzalakowshi opened the scoring in the 7thminute after a long-range chip into the box by Jack Bowman deceived goalkeeper Aidan Featherstone and sailed over his head for Dzalakowski to get a touch with his head before the ball flew into the net.
Non-existent defending by Clarence Zebras in the 42nd minute allowed Dzalakowski to run at goal unimpeded and score to make it 2-0 at the interval.
The home side had Josh Burgess sent off early in the second half after a bad tackle on Adam Gorrie, but with 10 men they still managed to pull a goal back through Dwayne Walsh in the 61stminute.
Luttmer popped up in the 72ndminute and headed home a deep cross from the right after a short corner to seal the game.
It could have been more, but Featherstone redeemed himself after his early lapse by making some outstanding diving saves in the second half to deny the visitors.
Both sides had key players missing. Sam Tooze was suspended for Clarence Zebras, as was Eduardo Castaneda for Knights.
Bottom-placed Riverside Olympic won their first league match of the season by downing second-last Olympia Warriors 3-2 at home at Windsor Park.
The visitors began like a house on fire and goals by Tyson Barrett in the 18th minute and Anthony Mamic in the 34th minute gave Olympia a 2-0 lead at the interval.
It all turned sour in the second half, however, as 3 goals in 12 minutes turned the tide.
Kosuke Mizuno pulled a goal back in the 76th minute before Toby Simeoni equalised with 8 minute remaining.
William Prince hit the winner 3 minutes from the end and put Riverside level on points with Warriors. With just 3 games remaining, the fight to avoid the wooden spoon is well and truly underway.
Incidentally, the NPL.TV platform had the game down as a 3-2 win for Olympia Warriors, which is a real balls-up.
NPL Tasmania Standings (As at 21 August 2022)
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| Devonport Strikers | 18 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 59 | 10 | 49 |
| South Hobart | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 60 | 18 | 39 |
| Kingborough Lions | 18 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 48 | 31 | 35 |
| Glenorchy Knights | 18 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 41 | 21 | 34 |
| Launceston City | 18 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 32 | 41 | 26 |
| Clarence Zebras | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 31 | 44 | 14 |
| Olympia Warriors | 18 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 19 | 65 | 6 |
| Riverside Olympic | 18 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 73 | 6 |
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