McDonald’s NPL Tasmania: Round 10 Weekend Wash-Up

Welcome to the Weekend-Wash Up for Round 10 of the McDonald’s NPL Tasmania season. It was a weekend that consisted mainly of one-sided thumpings, with only the Lions and Zebras match producing a close clash, as the Devonport Strikers fired an ominous warning to the rest of the competition, thanks in no small part to their lethal Spaniard.

Five-Star Garrido Leads Strikers’ Rout

Spanish Striker Roberto Fernandez Garrido scored five times, as the Devonport Strikers emphatically smashed Launceston City 8-1 at Buckby Motors Park.

Fresh off their Lakoseljac Cup victory, the Devonport Strikers ensured there was no hangover from the Cup, as they utterly dismantled City in the driving rain. This was their most dominant performance of the season and serves as a real warning shot to the rest of the league that they are not going to be slowing down. Whilst they’ve won frequently in his time in charge, this might well rank as their best display in the Tom Ballantyne era. It was a ruthless exhibition as they picked City’s defence to pieces, who simply had no answer to the Spanish striker, who continues to cement himself as the competition’s premier player.

The rout began in the 20^th minute when Garrido intercepted a pass to start an attacking move that led to a Denehey shot. Clark denied him brilliantly but left the rebound on the doorstep for Garrido to tap home.

His second was a superb finish, shrugging his marker, before turning sharply onto his left foot and producing a curled finish into the top corner from outside the box.

He then turned provider for Brody Denehey, standing up a well-weighted cross to the back post where Denehey rose to nod home.

The goals were flooding almost as quickly as the pitch due to the heavy downpour and in the 36^th minute, Garrido completed his hat-trick by reacting fastest to a loose ball in the box and sliding home to finish and make it 4-0.

Denehey was then hacked down in the box three minutes after that, presenting Garrido the chance for his fourth in the first half from the penalty spot, which he dispatched to make it 5-0 at the break.

The onslaught continued after the restart, as the Strikers produced the best team goal I have seen this season. Denehey beat his marker out wide with a tidy spin, before squaring it to Bennet who weighted a perfect first-time pass for Garrido to run onto and bury his fifth. It was sublime football and the Strikers were clearly enjoying themselves, running up the score on a side they’ve enjoyed plenty of heated battles with.

They were certainly not relenting as Luke Bennett added a seventh when he raced in behind the defence after being played through by substitute Jordan Payne and drilled home another on 68 minutes.

Fahim Moradi then completed the Strikers scoring for the match as he skipped past a defender with a consumate ease and fired home another to make it 8-0.

Toby Simeoni bagged a consolation goal for City in the 83^rd minute, showing strength to get rid of Smith before picking out the far corner with a well-placed hit from outside the box.

It was little consolation though, as the Strikers celebrated the thumping victory, that saw City tumble out of the top 4 and left licking their wounds.  The Strikers meanwhile are looking irresistible at the top of the table and getting better as the season wares on.

Cappellino Double Downs Lions

A brace from Xuan Cappellino helped fire the Clarence Zebras to a 2-1 win over the Kingborough Lions and up into fourth place on the table.

In wildly windy conditions at the Twin Ovals, the Lions started the stronger with the wind at their backs and came close to opening the scoring when Declan Taylor fired over the top from range, before Noah Mies shot one narrowly wide from inside the area.

The Zebras began to grow into the game though as a mesmerizing run from Miley created a chance for Tooze who fired straight at Azizi. Minutes later they found the breakthrough as Riley Dillon crossed from the left and Azizi misjudged the flight in the swirling wind, which left Cappellino with an empty net to steer his volley into.

The Lions were eager to respond whilst attacking the easier end and came close twice more before half-time was blown, as first Douce drew a save from Jones with a long-range blast before Kemp volleyed just wide from a corner.

Shortly after the restart, the Zebras doubled their lead when Huigsloot felled Cappellino just inside the box, allowing the Argentine to step up and emphatically dispatch the penalty home.

It left the Lions with a lot of work to do into the wind, but Vivarelli had a big chance in the 62^nd minute which he fired straight at Jones and Hess also squandered a good look when he blazed wide from a similar spot five minutes later.

Cappellino almost had his hat trick when he snuck in behind the lines only for a superb last-ditch block from Tom Prince diverting the ball over the bar.

Kobe Kemp eventually pulled one back for the Lions when he chested one down and volleyed home in the 93^rd minute, but it arrived too late for the Lions and the Zebras walked away with the three points.

It leaves the Lions now five points adrift of the top four and with some work to do in the second half of the season. The Zebras meanwhile continue to be the big improvers of the competition and are in fourth spot, level with third placed South Hobart on points.

Knights Remain On Strikers Heels

The Glenorchy Knights remained within four points of the Strikers at the top of the table, as they took care of business and comfortably accounted for Riverside Olympic 6-1 at Windsor Park, with Captain Eli Luttmer bagging a hat-trick.

Much as they have done in recent clashes with the Roos, the Knights simply outgunned them to keep in touching distance of top spot, as a 7 points gap has now opened up to third place behind them.

Knights took the lead in the 12^th minute when Adam Gorrie swung in a flat cross that the wind seemed to impact, and Nash misjudged and it as it snuck in at the far post,

Gorrie then set up the second goal when he clipped another cross into the box, this one much higher, which Eli Luttmer rose to nod home his first of the day.

Mathew Brkic then won a penalty as he drove inside from the left and was sent tumbling by Prince. Luttmer stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot kick.

The lead was extended to 4-0 and the contest was effectively decided just before halftime when Young deflected Jaxon Richardson’s cross into the back of his own net.

The second half started in a much brighter fashion for the hosts, as they scored their first goal in a month as Young clipped a free kick over the top for substitute Riley Wakeford to run onto and make an immediate impact by scoring.

But Knights quickly regained control of things and Richardson scored a classy goal just before the hour mark, as he got the better of his marker and drove home a bullet of a shot.

As the game drifted to its conclusion, Luttmer was able to complete his hat trick, as he cleverly backheeled the ball across the line despite lying on the ground after a Sagno corner. It was a real heads-up play from the Knights skipper and secured a rarely-seen hat-trick from a centre-back as well as a comfortable win for his side.

South Ease Past United

It was a similar story down at Darcy Street as South Hobart cruised to a 6-1 win over Launceston United to climb up into third place on the table.

South took the lead in the 18^th minute when Jaden Fidra got in behind his marker and crossed into the 6-yard box where it deflected off Reading and through the legs of Piper for the game’s opening goal.

Just one minute later that lead was doubled, as Morton curled a ball into the area that found Jackson Dent who was arriving at the back post, he took it around the keeper and tapped home.

South’s early dominance continued in the 24th minute as Morton fired a rather tame shot at Aidan Piper, who parried it straight into Dent’s path, who was once more left with a simple tap in to make it 3-0.

South wouldn’t add any more in the first half but struck shortly after the restart as a corner was worked back across the face and bundled home at close range by Morton despite the best efforts of a scrambling Piper on the line.

A corner led to their fifth goal in the 69^th minute, as Sam Berezansky blasted one into the roof of the net after Semmler’s initial shot rebounded back off the post and into his path in the middle of the box.

United got something to show for their efforts in the 77^th minute however as Angelo Amato scored what was the goal of the game, when he picked Bowman’s pocket on halfway, stormed up the pitch and smashed a fine strike past O’Connell.

But South restored their five-goal advantage and put the cherry on top of the cake when Daniel Arnaiz came off the bench to score a late goal by streaming in behind the defence and rounding the keeper. It saw the game finishing 6-1 in South Hobart’s favour, a good bounce back after last week’s Cup final disappointment, whilst piling more misery on last-placed United.

Round 10

Kingborough Lions 1 (K.Kemp 90+3”)

Clarence Zebras 2 (X.Cappellino 31” 51”)

Goal Highlights

South Hobart 6 (C.Reading OG 18” J.Dent 19” 25” N.Morton 52” S.Berezansky 69” D.Arnaiz 89”)

Launceston United 1 (A.Amato 78”)

Goal Highlights

Riverside Olympic 1 (R.Wakeford 48”)

Glenorchy Knights 6 (A.Gorrie 12” E.Luttmer 25” 35” 84” C.Young OG 43” J.Richardson 58”)

Goal Highlights

Launceston City 1 (T.Simeoni 83”)

Devonport Strikers 8 (R.Garrido 20”27” 36” 42” 54” B.Denehey 35” L.Bennet 68” F.Moradi 73”)

Goal Highlights