Devonport Strikers vs Glenorchy Knights
Date: Saturday 22 August
Venue: Valley Road
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2020 record:
Devonport: 5-0-0 (first in NPL TAS)
Knights: 4-0-1 (second in NPL TAS)
Top scorers:
Devonport: Brody Denehey (3)
Knights: Thomas Young (4)
Preview:
Round six will start with a bang as the Devonport Strikers look to fend off the challenge of the up-and-coming Glenorchy Knights. With the two sides sitting first and second on the NPL Tasmania ladder, and with Glenorchy’s league-leading attack going up against the competition’s stingiest defence, this should be one of the games of the season. The Strikers struggled to break through against a plucky Zebras defence last week, leaving it until the last ten minutes to add a pair of quick goals. Despite that sluggish start they once again found a way to win and maintain their unblemished record this season. When a player of Todd Hingston’s quality is being used as an impact substitute, that tells you everything you need to know about the quality of Devonport’s squad—they are clearly the benchmark once again, and their home-ground advantage at Valley Road only adds to the aura they possess. Glenorchy will travel north full of confidence, though, after claiming a win on their first northern road trip of the season in round five. This game will be a challenge on a whole other level, but they have been playing some stunning football of late. With so much attacking firepower at their disposal they are well and truly capable of knocking off the champions. Top spot will be on the line, and whoever wins here will have well and truly earned it.
Key player: Alessandro Bellini, Glenorchy Knights
The goalscorers always take the accolades, and the Knights have enjoyed strong shooting performances from new recruits Joffrey Nkoso and Alex Walter, as well as leading scorer Thomas Young. Shout out to the league’s leading setup man though—Bellini has been pulling the strings in Glenorchy’s midfield with four assists already this season. Once their front three get the ball in a goalscoring position it’s already game over, so Devonport would be wise to mark Bellini tightly and stop the goals at their source.
Riverside Olympic vs South Hobart
Date: Saturday August 22
Venue: Windsor Park
Kick-off: 2:15 PM
2020 record:
Riverside: 1-1-3 (sixth in NPL TAS)
South Hobart: 3-0-2 (fourth in NPL TAS)
Top scorers:
Riverside: Nil Sanz (3)
South Hobart: Kasper Hallam (3)
Preview:
On paper, there are a lot of similarities between these two sides—both are younger teams looking to build from within, and both are currently mid-table and scrapping to keep in touch with the top few sides. South would surely be the more confident of the two heading into this matchup, though, after demolishing the high-flying Kingborough Lions 5-0 last round. It was a brilliant attacking display made all the more impressive by the absence of star signing Andy Brennan, and it was a welcome return to top form for Nick Morton. That’s not to say that he has been poor this season—he was simply on another level against the Lions, and South should be the overwhelming favourites if he can replicate that performance this week. Riverside have shown some defensive steel even when outmatched at times this season, but their league-worst 12 goals against shows that they have struggled to maintain that for a full 90 minutes. Against a dynamic South front line with creativity and pace to burn, they can’t afford any lapses in concentration if they want to stay in the contest. This will be the second of four consecutive games for Riverside at Windsor Park—if they can’t make the most of that run, they will find themselves fighting to stay off the foot of the table.
Key player: Declan Zasadny, Riverside Olympic
Nil Sanz has been Olympic’s biggest goal threat this season, but they are yet to find a reliable option to partner him. After a substitute appearance last round, it sounds like Zasadny will feature more prominently against South. The towering striker has spent recent seasons playing in the NPL Victoria under-20 competition, and coach Alex Gaetani has already labelled him a “superstar”. Standing well over six feet tall, he could be the x-factor needed to kick-start Riverside’s season.
Launceston City vs Clarence Zebras
Date: Saturday August 22
Venue: Buckby Land Rover Park
Kick-off: 4:30 PM
2020 record:
Launceston City: 0-0-5 (eighth in NPL TAS)
Clarence Zebras: 1-0-4 (seventh in NPL TAS)
Top scorers:
Launceston City: Samuel Ridgard (3)
Clarence Zebras: Jayden Hey, Matt Pace, Lachie Burt, Jake Thompson (1)
Preview:
From one end of the league to the other—round six opens with a top-of-the-table clash, and it will close with a bottom-of-the-table clash. The first five rounds couldn’t have gone much worse for Launceston City, with injuries, suspensions and poor form all combining to leave them without a single point. Still, they have kept the score close in all but one game, with last week’s 2-1 loss to Olympia another near miss against a side with plenty of talent. The return of Rob Gerrard in that game was a huge boost, and with Noah Mies set to return to their lineup City would be hoping to find some continuity on the team sheet moving forward. The Zebras were also on the wrong end of an honourable loss in round five, defending resolutely for more than 80 minutes before collapsing late against the league-leading Strikers. It’s at the other end of the park that their real issues lie—four goals in five games simply isn’t enough in a high-scoring league. It’s hard to see where more goals might come from, but coach Dave Smith will need to get creative and find a way for his team to threaten in the final third more often.
Key player: Noah Mies, Launceston City
Mies is an out-and-out star on his day, but he is yet to hit the scoreboard this season while only showing glimpses of his true ability. How much of that is down to his own performance and how much is because of the service he’s receiving is certainly up for debate. Either way, City need him at his best if they are going to recover from a horror start to the season. After withdrawing from the side last round due to illness, this game could be the perfect chance for him to find some form.
Olympia Warriors vs Kingborough Lions
Date: Saturday August 22
Kick-off: 4:30 PM
Venue: Warrior Park
2020 record:
Olympia: 2-0-3 (fifth in NPL TAS)
Kingborough: 3-1-1 (third in NPL TAS)
Top scorers:
Olympia: Jack Ryan (5)
Kingborough: Adam McKeown (3)
Preview:
How much do you believe in the power of momentum? In a vacuum, Kingborough might come into this game as the strong favourite. After all, they have lost just one game this season and have claimed some big scalps along the way. The Warriors, meanwhile, have more losses than wins and sit in the bottom half of the league. Despite that, it’s Olympia that would surely be feeling more confident after two consecutive wins, while the Lions will be looking to bounce back from a 5-0 demolition at the hands of South Hobart. Jack Ryan has been the catalyst as he has taken the lead in the Golden Boot with five goals, although three have come from the penalty spot. With so much quality lining up behind him, it’s hardly a surprise that the Warriors have found their feet, and the Lions will surely be wary after a dismal display of their own last week. They barely gave a whimper after looking likely to contend for the title in the four weeks prior. Was the loss to South a blip on the radar, or a regression to what they may be for the rest of the season? In reality they are probably somewhere in between, but their trip to Warrior Park will provide the first indicator either way.
Key player: Danny Cowen, Kingborough Lions
With Ryan looming large in Olympia’s front line, Cowen will have his hands full trying to contain him while marshalling the Lions back four. Both are physical players who refuse to back down from a contest, and that mindset from Cowen was crucial in setting the tone in Kingborough’s strong start to the season. He is a leader for the club, and they will need him to stand up and quash any fears of a mid-season slide.