Glenorchy Knights’ 1-0 win over Devonport Strikers at KGV Park yesterday means the NPL Tasmania title will be decided in next Saturday’s final round of matches, which all kick-off at the same time in the south of the State.
It’ll be a case of quick mental arithmetic as the afternoon wears on to see who will lift the trophy.
Devonport are ahead on goal-difference (+40) as they are level on 47 points with second-placed Glenorchy Knights, whose goal-difference is +35.
If both sides win next Saturday, it will come down to the actual score-lines and goal-difference.
Devonport are away to Kingborough Lions, who beat them 2-0 earlier in the season, while the Knights host Launceston City.
If one side loses or draws and the other wins, the winner will be the champion.
Football Tasmania is in a bit of a quandary.
They will want to present the title winner with the trophy immediately after the match, but should they have the trophy ready at Lightwood Park or at KGV Park?
Should they have a replica ready so there is a trophy at both venues?
Who will present it? After all, there is only one president (Bob Gordon) and one CEO (Matt Bulkeley).
Should they hire a helicopter to whisk the presenting official and trophy to the appropriate venue?
I jest, of course, but I’m glad they have to work out a plan and not me.
And now, back to how this situation all developed.
Knights finally managed to overcome Devonport and they fully deserved their win.
Their centre-backs, Tyler Harrison and Eli Luttmer, were sound in defence and fullback Jack Bowman and Connor Schmidt were able to play as wing-backs and apply pressure on Devonport down the flanks.
Devonport had no answers to counter this and their only genuine chance came in the first half when Jordan Lamb forced Knights keeper Lachlan Hart to turn his fierce shot over the bar.
In the second half, Knights’ Schmidt unleashed a pile-driver from just outside the box to bring out a magnificent save from Devonport keeper Nathan Pitchford.
Schmidt broke through on another occasion and, despite having two team-mates free on the left, chose to shoot harmlessly over the bar.
The only goal of the game came in the 57thminute when Nick Mearns reacted quickly to poke the ball over the line from close range after a corner.
This unleashed mayhem involving as many as 16 players and it took referee Stratos Plomaritis several minutes to sort things out.
Once play resumed, things got very physical and several yellow cards were shown to players from both sides and to Knights coach James Sherman and his assistant Marcello Marchioli.
The big surprise was that no red cards were shown, The referee must have been tempted as several challenges and incidents after play had been stopped verged on serious infringements.
Knights’ Austin Yost needed treatment on the field after suffering a gash just above the eye, and Knights official Anton Baltic had to mop up the blood on the artificial pitch before play could resume.
Apart from one heart-in-the-mouth incident in the Knights’ goalmouth, which was defused by excellent goalkeeping from Hart after a Kieran Mulraney header, there were no other real chances and Knights hung on for the 1-0 win, which set the scene for next Saturday’s showdown.
Devonport’s Joel Stone, Brody Denehey and Jordan Lamb were no real threats on the day and Knights were deserved winners.
Third-placed South Hobart became the highest scoring team in the competition with a 10-2 drubbing of bottom-side Riverside Olympic at South Hobart Oval.
South's Nick Morton netted four of his side's goals to take his season's tally to 20, just two behind Devonport's Brody Denehey with one game remaining.
Second-last Clarence Zebras overcame visiting fifth-ranked Launceston City 4-1 at Wentworth Park with some excellent goals.
After a goalless opening half, James Ackerley scored the first in the 54th minute after Riley Dillon was unable to control a looping pass into the box and the ball fell for his team-mate to smash home.
Dillon made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute with a perfectly placed shot inside the left-hand post.
Daniel Smith pulled a goal back for City in the 68thminute before a clinical finish by Dillon in the 71st minute restored the home-side’s two-goal buffer.
Ackerley finished the soring a minute from the end, but even though the win lifted Clarence Zebras to level on points with Olympia Warriors, the Warrior have their noses in front because of a better goal-difference.
Olympia went down 2-0 away to fourth-placed Kingborough Lions United, who scored through Jack Martin in the 26thminute and Andy Taylor on the hour-mark.
NPL Tasmania
Glenorchy Knights 1 (N Mearns 57) beat Devonport Strikers 0
South Hobart 10 (N Morton 4, S Berezansky 2, K Hallam 2, B Lakoseljac, own goal( beat Riverside Olympic 2 (F Fulton 2)
Clarence Zebras 4 (J Ackerley 54, 89, R Dillon 62, 71) beat Launceston City 1 (D Smith 68)
Kingborough Lions United 2 (J Martin 26, A Taylor 60) beat Olympia Warriors 0
NPL Tasmania standings (As at 4 September 2021)
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| Devonport City | 20 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 53 | 13 | 47 |
| Glenorchy Knights | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 52 | 17 | 47 |
| South Hobart | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 56 | 24 | 40 |
| Kingborough Lions | 20 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40 | 36 | 33 |
| Launceston City | 20 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 26 | 47 | 22 |
| Olympia Warriors | 20 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 30 | 45 | 18 |
| Clarence Zebras | 20 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 31 | 52 | 18 |
| Riverside Olympic | 20 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 26 | 81 | 3 |
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