Round 12 of PlayStation 4 NPL Tasmania is headlined by a blockbuster clash between first and third on the table as the Olympia Warriors will be hoping to carry momentum from their Lakoseljac Cup Final victory into a massive showdown with league leaders, the Devonport Strikers.
The 2016 Lakoseljac Cup champion Strikers might not have been able to defend the Lakoseljac Cup, but they currently sit at the summit of the PS4 NPL TAS table in defence of their league title. The gap between them and the Warriors who sit in third place is currently at 3 points, and with the superior goal difference, Olympia could jump ahead of them with a victory at Warrior Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Warriors will be looking to pick up where they left off in their 4-2 victory over Glenorchy Knights in the cup final which was one of their best performances of the season, dominating the game and creating a host of goal scoring opportunities with some scintillating attacking football. With Warren Wadawu finally fit again and dominating down the right wing, they looked a far more balanced and threatening side as he, Hugh Undy and Jakub Sklenar showed some fine chemistry.
In the midfield, Nick Mearns, who was the best player in the league for the first half of 2016 before succumbing to injury is finally back to his best and after claiming the best on ground medal in the cup final looms as a major threat for the Strikers.
The two sides have met once this season up at Valley Road with the Warriors winning 3-0 in their best performance they have produced in the league this season, hitting the Strikers side with a frenetic attacking display, spearheaded by their star striker Jakub Sklenar.
The Strikers sit top of the table but have been dealt a major blow after losing the services of star American import Tyler Fischer after he completed a transfer to Avondale FC in the NPL Victoria. Fischer had enjoyed a superb season for the Strikers, scoring 12 times in 11 league games.
If they are to maintain top spot with a win over the Warriors, they will need to find a way to replace him which could prove difficult and potentially mean pushing Brayden Mann back into a striking role.
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