Four first half goals fromTyler Fischer fired the Devonport Strikers to a 5-3 victory over the Kingborough Lions in a wild game at Lightwood Park on Saturday afternoon.

The American struck four times in the first half as his Strikers side went into the sheds with a 4-1 lead and the game seemingly in hand before they were forced to survive a spirited second half fightback from the Lions.

The Lions started brightly in what quickly developed into an open game, flowing from end to end. Benny Kovadio came close to opening the scoring with a backheel that just went wide but it was Devonport who would open the scoring. Tyler Fischer scoring his first of the day, stepping up to dispatch a stunning free kick into the top corner of the net from around 25 yards out. He took it before the Lions could set a wall but even if they had one, it was so well hit that it probably would not have mattered.

Minutes later Fischer had doubled their advantage as he seized upon an errant back pass, held off a defender and slid it underneath the onrushing Kamara to make it 2-0.

Tobias Herweyen then offered Kingborough a way back into the game with a beautifully placed finish into the top corner. Kovadio had done well on the left before crossing for Cowen who picked out the youngster in the box who made no mistake.

It was short lived joy though as a foul from Gates in the box led to a penalty which Fischer buried to seal a first half hat-trick.

He wasn’t done yet adding a fourth after getting on the end of a cross from Wicks on the wing to send Devonport into the sheds with a 4-1 lead. He was given far too much space in the box and duly made them pay.

The Lions needed a response in the second half and they delivered one, roaring out of the break with a vengeance and taking the game right up to the Strikers.

Jack Gates, who had been pushed onto a wing for the second half and had a good impact on proceedings, sent in a cross which fell to Mtwale after a coming together between Cowen and Zaikos, and he volleyed home to make it 4-2

Gates then turned scorer, getting on the end of a fine through ball from Danny Cowen before finishing with a beautiful little dink over the advancing Zaikos.

It made it 4-3 and suddenly it was game on again, with Devonport suddenly under siege at the back as the Lions turned the screws, getting plenty of balls into the Strikers area.

Their momentum was stopped in its tracks on 71 minutes though when Akakpo was adjudged to have controlled the ball with his arm in the area and a penalty awarded.

The headline of ‘Five Star Fischer’ had seemingly written itself at that point but it was Holden who stepped up from the spot this time, and he made no mistake.

That seemed to sap the energy from the Lions players and despite some promising moments in attack they didn’t come especially close from that point onward.

Indeed the biggest action remaining in the game was from off the field, with manager Gabriel Markaj sent to the stand by the referee for seemingly having a little too much to say.

 

Post game Markaj said that he wasn’t too concerned with conceding 5 for the second time in 2 weeks, but that his side needed to score more to compensate.

“I thought in the first half we were unlucky to concede the goals. We conceded from inexperience, we have an average age of 19 and so maybe the lack of experience at this level showed.”

“I don’t really mind how many we concede, the only thing is we have to score enough. For me, it’s less that we conceded five, and more we have to score six.”

Devonport Coach Chris Gallo said it was a game his young side would learn plenty from.

“I think we were just as a unit, a bit immature at times. That’s what you’re going to get with boys, they’re a little bit inconsistent in the big moments and we need to be more consistent in those moments, but you learn from it, you move on.”

“I think at half time maybe the boys were a little bit cocky and we warned them about that, but you can’t change the emotions of an individual. So we need to be better at that but again you learn from this.”

He singled out Jack Dance for praise.

“I thought Jack Dance was incredible, in the big moments we needed him, he really stepped up.”