If Olympia FC Warriors are to win a maiden Playstation 4 Victory League title they will have to do it the hard way with their league lead cut to just two points after the club surrendered a 1-0 half time lead to fall 2-1 to third placed Zebras.

They say no matter the circumstances rivalries bring the best out of teams and that was certainly the case with the Zebras today. Their title hopes were dashed entering the encounter but they fought tooth and nail to take down their traditional adversaries and do South Hobart a major favour in the 2015 title race.

It was Olympia who owned the opening half but Zebras Scottish goalkeeper Graham Wright stood in the way of an early lead for the Warriors with some outstanding goalkeeping. The gloveman produced three decisive saves to deny goals inside the opening 20 minutes, the first a stellar stop to deny Warren Wadawu. Nick Mearns, who was the Warriors best in the disappointing loss, hit a defence splitting pass from the bullseye that sought out Wadawu. The Warrior winger burst in the right hand side of the box and fired a fizzing drive that Wright saved well, it looked destined for the net so it was a crucial effort from the scotsman. The second save saw Wright make himself big to close down an Emmanuel Tsakiris strike from inside the 18. The third was again an impressive involvement from the influential Wright, back peddling to tip over an ominous long range rocket off the boot of Nick Mearns from beyond 20 yards.

After significant territorial dominance they finally find a way past Wright to score their only goal on the 37th minute. Canadian Gavin Hoy struck it for the Warriors, Shae Hickey lofted a ball over the top on the right flank for Warren Wadawu, who cut it back to the penalty spot for Hoy. He met it with a crushing drive that fizzed into the top right window to give the Warriors a lead, a lead they held into the break.  

The Zebras took little time to level with a high octane start to the second stanza from the hosts. Midfielder Harrison Thomas found Kurt Engels wide left on a counter attack and the Zebras caught Olympia napping to start the half with a fast burst forward. Engels swept it across from the left wing and with a centi-metre perfect ball he found Adam McKeown, who tapped in to finish off at back post and draw the Zebras level.

Wright again stood defiant with back to back saves in the 54th minute, the first, a tip over the bar from a long range Hickey shot and the second a strong catch on the line to cut off a Lachlan Nichols volley.

Just three minutes later Zebras found their second and ultimately the match winner, with Adam McKeown again the scorer. Centre-half Jayden Hey had a stellar game in the heart of defence along with Tyler Harrison, Hey assisted the second goal with a long raking ball from defence that found McKeown free on the edge of the area. He lobbed an out of position Sean Lewis with a firm header that bounced over the line and into goal to make it 2-1.

In the 76th minute it looked as if the Warriors had found an equaliser with Captain Alex Holmes rising highest from a corner to nod a Hoy cross. His header crashed into the cross bar and amongst mad scratching for the loose ball, Wright gathered and cleared.

The result is huge, not so much for the victors but rather for the fallen Warriors and the competition. Olympia leave this round with a two point advantage over second placed South Hobart, meaning the title could hinge on the pair's meeting next week. It isn't all doom and gloom for Olympia however, their title hopes remain in their hands.

On Saturday there were three games with the biggest result Launceston City's first ever derby win in the Victory League. 

Launceston City grabbed their first PS4 Victory League win against bitter rivals Northern Rangers at the NTCA, convincingly beating the home side 3-1 to leapfrog them into fourth place in the ladder (the highest position the club has ever been in the Victory League).

 

Rangers started the brightest out of the two teams and they took the lead in the 10th minute, a beautiful curling free kick from Harry Thannhauser picking out Alex Rossetto who sent a low header past David Smith in the City goals.

 

Isaac Degetto equalised in the 23rd minute, he pounced to grab a beautiful goal for the visitors. Aaron Campbell played the ball in and when it fell to Degetto 12 yards from goal he sent a lovely lobbed effort over the keeper’s head and into the far corner of the net.

It was Rangers who had the next glorious opportunity to grab the lead however, when they were awarded a penalty kick in the 37th minute for a shirt tug in the box. Yitay Towns stepped up to take the spot kick but Smith did superbly to spring low to his left and make the save.

 

The home side were to rue that missed opportunity when City took the lead in the 45th minute with the last kick of the half. Hayoto Ogusu pressed hard and won the ball off Aidan Rigby before skinning two defenders, getting to the byline and sending a perfect cut back for Dom Rossi who slotted home from four yards out.

City started the second half the more confident of the teams and they added another goal in the 52nd minute, Rossi grabbing his second of the match to make the score 3-1. The City winger picked the ball up about twenty five yards out, dropped his shoulder to make space then unleashed a rocket of a right footed shot into the bottom corner of the net.

From there City set out to defend their lead and let Rangers bring the game to them, but Rangers’ passing was not at its usual standard and they lacked the cutting edge to get past City’s well organised defence.

 

The visitors had a great chance to bag a fourth goal when they were awarded a penalty in the 72nd minute after Ogusu had danced his way into the box before being taken down. Most of the crowd expected Rossi to step up to try and get his hat-trick, but instead Nicholas Ruta took the penalty and his effort was poor and easily saved by James Wilson.

 

Kingborough Lions were far too good for an under strength Glenorchy Knights at KGV on Saturday, running away 5-0 victors in an uneventful affair.

The Lions opened the scoring in the 8th minute in lucky circumstances.  A free kick was swung in by Keiron Dale that fell to Adam Hedge at the back post who headed it goalward. Defender Noah Thorne attempted to clear it off the line but he could only manage to kick it into his ‘keeper Alex Woodham and the rebound pushed the ball over the goal line and Lions into a 1-0 lead.

Their advantage was doubled in the 19th minute through another fortunate moment for the visitors. A deep ball to Dean Watkins was cut out by Nick Fall at the back post, but he could only watch in horror as the ball came off his shin and into the back of his own net.

The first half saw Kingborough dominate general play but they struggled with their last touch in the final third to really punish Glenorchy.

Defender Matheus Galante got into an attacking position within a minute of the restart, cutting back to Cowen from the right by-line who converted from two yards out, adding their third.

Livewire Dean Watkins made it 4-0 just before the hour mark when he out muscled his opponent on the left and fired home to put the result beyond doubt.

 

Cowen converted a penalty with 20 minutes remaining to have his second and make it 5-0 after Thorne handballed in the area. Seeing a comfortable victory for the Lions.

 

South Hobart put in a workmanlike performance to defeat the Devonport Strikers 3-0 at Valley Road and keep the pressure on league leaders Olympia FC Warriors.

South Hobart played nervously for the opening half an hour perhaps in the knowledge that a loss or even a draw would severely dent their chances of challenging for the title.

 

Their nerves were eased somewhat fortuitously in the 38th minute when young left back Liam Quaile attempted to swing a cross in to his attackers but instead managed to put the ball into the back of the net over a hapless Tom Pearce.

 

In the 69th minute, South Hobart took the wind out of Devonport’s sails when they scored their second goal. Fresh substitute, Alex Walter, swung a corner in with his first touch of the game. Pearce only managed to fist the ball to the top of the penalty area where Alex Leszczynski was waiting in anticipation and he didn’t disappoint, with a well struck volley finding the bottom left corner of the net.

 

With the sting out of the game, South Hobart made it 3-0 in the 82nd minute. Brayden Mann delivered a superb cross from the left and found substitute Alfred Hess. Even though Hess contorted himself to get his head on the ball when most players would have used their feet, he still managed to guide the ball past Pearce.

PLAYSTATION 4 VICTORY LEAGUE ROUND 16 RESULTS

Glenorchy Knights 0 Kingborough Lions United 5 (Adam Hedge 8?, Nick Fall OG 19?, Danny Cowen 46?,70’, Dean Watkins 59?)

HALF TIME 0-2

VENUE: KGV Football Park, Glenorchy

 

Northern Rangers 1 (Alex Rossetto 10?) Launceston City 3 (Isaac Degetto 23?, Dom Rossi 45?, 52?)

HALF TIME 2-1

VENUE: NTCA, Launceston

 

Devonport City Strikers 0 South Hobart 3 (Liam Quaile 38?, Alex Leszczynski 69?, Alfred Hess 82?)

HALF TIME 0-1

VENUE: Valley Road, Devonport

 

Hobart JEEP Zebras 2 (Adam McKeown 47', 57') Olympia FC Warriors 1 (Gavin Hoy 37’)

HALF TIME 0-1

 

VENUE: KGV Football Park, Glenorchy