Walter Pless on Football

Glenorchy Knights 0-1 Kingborough Lions United

By Walter Pless
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Glenorchy Knights were missing key defenders Begovic and Dzelalija, but they started well enough with While having to head Fielding’s dangerous corner clear in the opening minutes.

Huigsloot’s header was also dangerous, while Clay should really have hit the target when put clean through in the inside-left channel just before the interval.

But, it was Bevan who put Kingborough Lions United ahead in the 18th minute direct from a corner, the ball somehow finding a way through a crowded goal area before lodging inside the far corner of the net.

Kingborough sought unsuccessfully to increase their lead in the second half.  One of their best chances came 10 minutes after the resumption when Palmer casually worked his way past two defenders, only to shoot wide.

With 5 minutes remaining, a fumble by Coleman gave possession to Knights substitute Minnucci, but he blazed wide.

Three minutes from the end, While tried his luck from long range, but the ball cleared the crossbar.

Upton was again excellent for Kingborough.  He defended well, was creative in midfield and was never afraid to join in the attack.  When he needed to, he was hard in the tackle and Knights were never able to find a way past the experienced and skilled veteran.

The loss leaves the Knights bottom of Group B, while Kingborough retained second place, two points adrift of leaders Tilford Zebras, who slipped up with a goalless draw against Clarence United.

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• Glenorchy Knights joint player-coach, Josh Fielding, said:

“It was a different kind of game.

“We had three defenders out today, which made it very hard.  Tony Dzelalija pulled out at the last moment.

“We had to change from a four-man defence to a three-man defence.

“There were some good passages of play.

“I think we were unlucky to lose, but we probably weren’t lucky enough to win it either, so a draw would have been a fair result, I would have thought.”

• Kingborough Lions United coach, Geoff Freeman, said:

“A much better performance than the first week.

“I missed last week and didn’t really get to see it, but apparently the intensity went up a little bit last week and I think we lifted again tonight.

“We were slow starting.  It probably took us until about the 12th minute before we actually got the ball on the deck and played it around and then, I think, we sort of slowly but surely got a little bit of a hold on the midfield and then took it from there.

“I was happy with the passing, especially keeping the ball on the deck and knocking it around and making them work hard.”

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Glenorchy Knights:  Peter;  Grundy, Cano, Russell, Harrison, M Cairns, Green, Fielding, Clay, T Huigsloot, Puclin (Substitutes:  Triffett, Minnucci)

Booked:  Harrison

Kingborough Lions United:  Coleman;  A Kerr, Iseli, Brown, McConnon, Bevan, Andrews, While, Upton, Palmer, Bremner (Substitutes:  Voss, Giomataris)

Goals:  Bevan 18

Ref:  C Phillips

Att:  150 (KGV Park, Friday, 29 September 2008)