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South Hobart v Northern Rangers, Saturday 2 April, 2.00PM Darcy St

South Hobart have swept all before them so far this season and will be heavy favourites to continue that run when they host an injury depleted Northern Rangers outfit at Darcy St on Saturday.

South may well be carrying a few sore bodies, having played two games in the space of three days due to Lakoseljac Cup commitments earlier this week. That could present Ken Morton with a chance to rotate his squad and give youngsters like Alex Walter, Ryan Cook or Adam Wilkes a chance to shine. It is unlikely he will rotate too heavily however as he has put his sides early success largely down to putting out a balanced side on the park.

“We have started the season well and the squad is settled. Many individuals have started the season with some exciting performances but overall we have had a well- balanced squad and the team is producing effective team football to win games. We will just look to show improvement week by week.”

There is no doubt they are a far more balanced line up than they were last season, with the emergence of Freddy Hess helping provide a dual threat down the flanks along with Darcy Hall either side of the red hot Albert Lesczynski. The midfield trio of Turner, Kemp and Morton strikes a perfect balance between attack and defence and has seen them dominate Olympia and Kingborough in the opening two rounds.

Northern Rangers meanwhile have been decimated by injuries. For a club that was already undermanned after a mass exodus of players following last season, it's been a tough pill to swallow, pushing a shallow squad’s depths to its limits.

Michael Monticcio and Dan Cristy are the latest to be added to the long term injury list, the duo facing months on the sidelines which leaves coach Dane Hudson with a very short handed squad to travel down the highway with.

They say crisis creates opportunity however and with a number of key movers absent, Nick Lanau Atkinson looks to be the man who will stand up in their stead. He was outstanding against Clarence, capping a strong performance with a sublime free kick from 25 yards out and is now the man who will have to shoulder the majority of the attacking load for Rangers.

Scoring goals has not been their problem though, keeping goals out has been the far bigger issue, leaking 5 goals against both of Zebras and Clarence and if they are any chance of upsetting South Hobart then this is an area they will need to tighten up in significantly, otherwise a red hot South Hobart team could be in for a high scoring day.

Despite his side’s misfortune, Hudson is refusing to hide behind injuries as an excuse. He is promising that his side won’t any adapt ultra-negative tactics as a way to try and combat the daunting task of beating South Hobart.

“With the injuries we have had this early I have been reassessing our goals every week. We are still committed to this season and have every intention of playing in the finals this year. We will turn up to play. There will be no bus parked as we always play to win. Our group won’t learn how to win games at this level standing behind the ball. We will however adjust our playing style to suit our opponent as losing games poorly each week by sticking to a particular shape is no way to build confidence.”

Devonport v Launceston City, Saturday April 2, Valley Road, 2.00PM

If the Devonport Strikers were ever truly under the radar then they certainly aren’t anymore after they marched down to Warrior Park and defeated the champions 2-1 on their home turf.

It was a dogged display, having set out their stall to play a direct, counter attacking game, it was a big blow to fall behind 1-0 so early on but it didn’t change a thing in regards to their approach. They remained resilient at the back, looking to move the ball quickly to the front and when Olympia over committed men forward, they consistently managed to sneak in behind their lines, despite their minimal possession.

It’s an approach that will suit them well against the big sides of the league but against Clarence in round 1 it was blunted somewhat and Launceston City may not play as an attacking style here, so Peter Savill may have to change his tactics.

Speaking of Savill, despite his side’s tremendous achievement, he gave his players a stern dressing down on the pitch after the game for their inability to hold the ball late in the second half. It’s those high standards that are being set that have the boys from Valley Road firmly in the title discussion for 2016. They are standards that are being met all over the pitch but especially at the back.  The dominating centre back pairing of Zupo and Gratton is as good as any in the league and has plenty outside of the club talking up their title chances. Assistant coach Nick Owen insists however that they are staying grounded.

“The goal was top four at the start of the season and that hasn’t changed. We have the potential to contend for the title but lots of things have to go right for any team to win the league and we’re only two games in. I believe the Knights were on 6 points at this stage of the season last year so we can’t get too excited about anything yet.”

They will clash with a Launceston City side who also appear to be among the competitions big improvers in 2016.

They have started the season with a pair of strong showings, comfortably accounting for Kingborough before narrowly losing out 2-1 to Hobart Zebras  in a spirited showing when they went down to 10 men following David Smith’s dismissal.

With Smith now suspended for two games and the imposing centre back Karl DeGroot now out with a broken foot, Lino Sciulli will have to shuffle his deck for this one but will be a happy manager to be able to call on a player of the caliber of Carlo Coppari.

The form of Coppari has been a particular standout for Launceston through the first fortnight of the season; the dazzling Italian has a bag of tricks and should provide a major threat to Devonport if he can continue his fine form.

Sciulli has also pointed to youth as the driving force behind his sides improvement, praising his young stable of talent that have shown an enthusiasm and determination so far in 2016.

 “Plenty of my team have impressed none more than the kids Will Rodman Nick Thorne, Alex Turner and Jarrod Linger. Also the older guys have all contributed in some form or another.”

The coach knows that they are in for a tough fight, but insists that if they keep to their structures carefully, then there is no reason they can’t continue to give title contending sides a run for their money.

“The match itself will be a fantastic match for my lads as Devonport is undefeated and coming off a superb win in the cup so we need to keep our shape, try and keep the ball and be very disciplined.”

Clarence United v Hobart Zebras, Saturday 2 April, 4.30PM, Wentworth Park

Competition newcomers Clarence registered their first victory over Northern Rangers last week but face a tough task trying to make it back to back wins when they play host to an undefeated Hobart Zebras outfit.

It’s an exciting occasion for Clarence as top flight football makes a welcome return to Wentworth Park, a ground that opposition sides have historically not enjoyed travelling to. If Clarence are to cause an upset then they will be hoping a strong vocal home crowd, and a strong breeze coming off the water, can help provide them with an added advantage.

The game will also carry extra significance as it is the Luke Cripps memorial shield game, played in memoriam of the former Clarence and Zebras player who died tragically in 2012.

Zebra’s coach Chris Hey touched on the importance of the occasion.

“This game has a real significance with the game being honoured for the service Luke Cripps provided to both clubs prior to his tragic passing.  There are a number of players from both clubs who were very close to Luke so the significance will not be lost on either group.”

Clarence Club Captain Christopher Nicholson also spoke to the significance of then occasion from the perspective of the players.

"He was a leader and a mentor, it will be an emotional match for some of the players and I expect they will be wearing their hearts on their sleeves."

After looking defensively solid against Devonport, Clarence opened the game up against Northern Rangers and showed there is more to this side than a dour, workmanlike defence.

Nick Naden looks a potential star of the league playing in behind the strong target man Adam Hedge, whilst Andrew Robb played a blinder down the right hand side and should provide Mattias Toghill with something to think about as he returns to play against his former club.

Toghill might not be the only man to come up against his former club with Clarence Coach Alan Jablonski hinting Grant Malcolm may be in line for his NPL debut.

“He (Malcolm) may come in to the starting 11 against his old club.  His distribution and set piece abilities are certainly things we will be looking to utilise.”

Jablosnki added that the group was hungry for more after their maiden win, but wary of the threat Zebras pose.

“The win against Rangers has definitely given the guys a greater desire for more success.  We know it’s just one game and the squad as a whole are determined to go out each week and be as difficult as possible to play against and strive for continual improvement. It's our first home game as an NPL club so we will be looking to put on a good performance for our supporters. Zebras can be a scary proposition with pace, strength and organisation. All the lads will need to be at their very best to get a result against that side.”

Despite being bounced from the Cup on Monday by South Hobart, Zebras have an unblemished record in the league this year and will be expecting to make it 3 wins from 3 against the Reds.

They will be without star midfielder Jayden Hey but fortunately his knee injury is not as bad as initially feared, with no structural or medial damage meaning there will be no lengthy layoff for him. It will mean an increased responsibility for Jordan Muller and James Sherman, who has impressed in a more defensive midfied role, whilst it also increases the expectations on Kurt Engels and Michael Mairano to create chances.

"We can get on top by playing our own brand of football and not getting carried away with what the opposition may / may not do. If we believe in ourselves and on the park and we should win this game but it will not be an easy task as Clarence continue to improve and build the strength of their squad.”

With Showers a possibility and the evening time slot meaning it should be a cold evening, we might find out if the Zebras can in fact do it on a cold, wet night at Wentworth Park.

Kingborough Lions v Olympia, Sunday 3 April, 2.00pm, Lightwood Park

When the roster came out, few would have predicted that this round three match would see two winless teams desperate for three points coming up against each other, yet that is the exact scenario facing both the Kingborough Lions and Olympia FC Warriors as they head to Lightwood Park on Sunday afternoon. The big news set to shape this contest dropped late Thursday night, with Kingborough coach Colin Robbins resigning and taking Team manager Mike Davies & Assistant coach Gerry Lampasona with him. It leaves Head Goalkeeping Coach Adam 'Bear' Coleman, Shane Cartwright, David Cooper & Chris Barrell as the men who will the reigns for Sundays match.

The  resignation was triggered by the fact the Lions have been well below expectations so far, losing comfortably to Launceston City and South Hobart before being torn apart by Devonport in the Cup on Monday.Whilst a win is going to be tough to come by here, they simply cannot afford another heavy loss and will need to show improvements under the new, albeit temporary coaching arrangement. With Olympia stumbling out of the gates, the Lions may well feel that despite their own problems, this as vulnerable as they are likely to look all season.

The key for the Lions will be to find avenues to goal, with chances scarcely being created and it would not be surprising to see some personnel changes on the pitch as well as off it. Kieron Dale surely has to be in the starting lineup whilst former South Hobart midfielder Chris Downes could be provided more of an attacking license, as his threat has largely come from set pieces rather than in open play. His precise delivery will still be an asset and against an unsettled Olympia back 4, who struggled at times with the physicality of Devonport, it may represent their best chance of getting something out of this time.

Pre-season title fancies Olympia’s struggles have been well documented, but they will hope that a hard fought 3-1 win over University in the Lakoseljac Cup can be the catalyst for a turnaround in their fortunes. With the scores 0-0 at half time they found some rhythm in the second half and scored three goals but they are still some way off the lofty heights that are expected of them.

Jake Vandermay will miss with injury meaning Aidan Farquahar should be given a chance to start alongside the outstanding Jacob Collard in the heart of defence with Zachary Drake at right back and a question mark still lingering over the left back spot, with nobody really nailing it down. That along with the misfiring forward line has been the issue for Olympia throughout the first few weeks but McNeill will be hoping that the more time spent playing together, the closer the likes of Sam,Shuruma, Hoy and Wadawu are to gelling together and producing their best form.

Despite their start McNeill remained upbeat when discussing his sides prospects.

““The start to our campaign has not gone as we would have liked. However we are improving each week and once we start playing our best football I think we will be hard to stop. There is no doubt in my mind that we will be around the top end of the table by season end. Kingborough are a proud team with a long history. We found them difficult to break down last year at the Den where it finished 0-0. They have a group of strong physical players and I am anticipating a tough match.”