PS4 NPL Tasmania Round 17 Preview

The round opens up with a big clash at Valley Road between the second and third placed sides when Devonport host Olympia.

With South Hobart seemingly storming their way to the league title this game now looms as less of potential title decider as it once seemed destined to be and more of a showdown for second place.

Second placed Devonport currently have a three point gap to the Warriors, though the Warriors goal difference would mean a victory here would propel them up into second. Devonport currently have a one goal better goal differential, but a one goal win for Olympia would mean that their superior goals for tally would move them into second place.

Devonport will be looking to avoid any goal difference calculations altogether come seasons end by pushing their home ground advantage and claiming a win. Yet the last time they met at Valley Road back in Round 5, the Warriors produced their strongest performance of the season.

They won 3-0 with a left hand side of Hugh Undy and Sam Conway causing complete carnage, a combination that won’t be a factor this time around nor was it in their most recent meeting. That was a 2-1 win to Devonport at Warrior Park with a quality defensive shift leading the Strikers to a win. They were in the midst of a long winning streak on that occasion though and will enter this game in much patchier form.

Having won 11 of their first 13 games, they are now winless in their past three games and 7 points off the pace. Not that the Warriors have been setting the world on fire themselves, though with 2 wins in their past 3 games either side of a competitive loss with South Hobart, suggests they do seem to be getting back to some of their earlier season form that they will need to get anything out of a tough road trip.

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