Devonport City continued on their way to the NPL Tasmania title with yet another 1-0 win yesterday.
This time it was at home at Valley Road against second-last Riverside Olympic through a 74th-minute penalty converted by defender Raphael Reynolds.
Devonport had more than enough chances to win comfortably but couldn’t find the net in open play.
Goalkeeper Nathan Pitchford saved them yet again on one occasion, while Riverside keeper Jarrod Hill turned back the yellow-and-blue tide time and time again in another impressive display.
It’s the win that counts, however, and Devonport got the 3 points that keep them 4 points ahead of second-placed Glenorchy Knights.
The Knights demolished Kingborough Lions United 7-0 at KGV Park, but it took a while for them to hit their stride.
They led 1-0 after a quarter of an hour when Alex Walter outpaced Davis Bryan and finished past keeper Lee Mackie.
A couple of minutes later it should have been 2-0 when Mackie brought Walter down and conceded a penalty. Mackie saved Walter’s spot-kick and it remained 1-0 for the home side until the interval.
But, the crucial moment came just before the break when Bryan was sent off for a last-ditch foul on Nick Naden, forcing the Lions to play for 50 minutes with just 10 men.
Joel Sammut was taken off and replaced by defender Jackson Nugent, but the logic of the move was hard to fathom. Sammut had been playing in midfield and he is normally a full-back so it would have been easier to just drop him into the defence rather than use up a substitute. Sammut was not pleased at being the sacrificial lamb and he did not acknowledge coach Jez Kenth as he extended a hand as Sammut walked back to the bench.
Incidentally, Bryan’s red card was the 100th red card in this league since the inception of the State League in 2013. It was a dubious honour for the American and it was his second red card of the season.
Knights were rampant in the second half as Walter scored twice in 6 minutes just before the hour mark to complete his hat-trick and give his side a 3-0 lead.
Connor Schmidt went on to score a brace and goals by Cade Smith and Joffrey N’Koso completed the execution of the Lions.
How the Knights must be rueing that 2-0 loss to Kingborough earlier in the season and the 1-0 defeat away at Devonport. The title is looking so near yet so far.
South Hobart’s Kasper Hallam hit a hat-trick as his team downed bottom-side Launceston City 3-1 away at Launceston’s Bucky Land Rover Park.
Josh Bula replied for City, who remain 4 points adrift of Riverside Olympic.
Clarence Zebras made Olympia president George Mamacas eat his words when they beat the Warriors 2-1 away at Warrior Park on Saturday evening.
It was referee Stratos Plomaritis's 50th NPL game in charge.
Good work down the right-byeline by Samson Juju set up a header for Luke Huigsloot at the far left-hand post in the 17thminute to give Clarence Zebras the lead.
Callum Brown equalised for the home team in the 27thminute with a clinical finish from wide on the left of the penalty area.
Defender Thomas Little headed home a corner from the left at the far right-hand post in the 36th minute to restore Clarence Zebras’ lead and they hung on for the win despite intense Olympia pressure throughout the second half, including a shot against the crossbar by Joseph Mwarabu.
NPL Tasmania
Devonport City 1 (R Reynolds 74 pen) beat Riverside Olympic 0
Launceston City 1 (J Bula 68) lost to South Hobart 3 (K Hallam 12, 52, 82)
Glenorchy Knights 7 (A Walter 15, 51, 56, C Schmidt 62, 93, K Smith 74, J N’Koso 86) beat Kingborough Lions United 0
Olympia Warriors 1 (C Brown 27) lost to Clarence Zebras 2 (L Huigsloot 17, T Little 36)
NPL Tasmania Standings (As at 19 September 2020)
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| Devonport City | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 25 |
| Glenorchy Knights | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 7 | 21 |
| South Hobart | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 13 | 15 |
| Kingborough Lions | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 21 | 15 |
| Olympia Warriors | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 16 | 13 |
| Clarence Zebras | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 19 | 8 |
| Riverside Olympic | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 22 | 5 |
| Launceston City | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 1 |
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