Walter Pless on Football

By Walter Pless

The University versus Metro-Claremont match at Olinda Grove on Saturday may be the subject of a protest by Metro as the timing breached the laws of the game, which state that a game shall be of two equal halves.

Metro lost 5-1 and is fighting against a relegation play-off and a replay may help it to avoid that situation.

University’s Rod Gretton suffered a potentially serious head injury when he collided with Metro’s Jarrod Saunders and he was unable to be moved from the ground until the arrival of an ambulance.

The game was held up for 30 minutes and, when it resumed, play continued for only about 20 minutes, making a total of 25 minutes for the first half.

The second half went for about 42 minutes, which is not in line with the laws of the game.

The first half could quite easily have continued for the whole 45 minutes, even with the half-hour delay, because there would still have been enough daylight even if the game did not end until about 4.45pm.

As it was, it finished about 10 minutes before the Kingborough versus Taroona match at Lightwood Park.

Players were apparently under the impression that they had played two 35-minute halves.

Football Federation Tasmania will need to study the referee’s report and make a decision as to the validity of the result, even if Metro does not lodge a protest.

University coach, Matthew Shaw, said that Gretton apparently suffered a fracture of the ‘outer layer’ of his skull and was released from hospital that night and that he was lucky it was not more serious.

Shaw said it was up to the authorities to decide whether the result stood and he was happy with the 5-1 win, but the club would be hard-pressed to play two games in two days if a replay was ordered on a future weekend.

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The death occurred in Hobart last week of one of Tasmania’s more prominent players of the past, Hans Zotsch, who was 69.

Zotsch arrived in Tasmania from Graz, in Austria, in 1963 and played most of his career, which extended into the 1970s, with Rapid.

He also had a season with White Eagles after they were formed and helped them gain promotion to the first division.

Initially a free-scoring centre-forward, Zotsch eventually moved to centre-half, where he also excelled.

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Somerset appears certain to make it back-to-back northern Premier League championships after disposing of Launceston City 4-1 on the weekend to open up an 8-point lead over second-placed Devonport City, which lost 1-0 to Northern Rangers.

Burnie United, the only other side with a faint chance of the title, suffered a set-back when it was held to a 2-2 draw at Riverside Olympic.

Somerset is also the reigning State premier and has reached the semi-finals of the State-wide Milan Lakoseljac Memorial Trophy competition, where it has a home fixture against Glenorchy Knights at Cardigan Street on 11 August.

Knights have hit a slump and have relinquished their southern Premier League title, so Somerset is in a good position to do even better than last season.

This represents a power shift in the north away from the traditional giants, Launceston City and Devonport City.

Mercury Article

Wednesday Mercury article

South Hobart’s Alex Gordon

Mercury Article

Tuesday Mercury article by Walter Pless

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Taroona’s 17 year old German exchange student, Feliz Abetz, talks to the Mercury

Original & uncut document

By Walter Pless

Premier League soccer leaders Hobart Zebras slipped up yesterday when they were held to a 1-1 draw away to bottom-side New Town Eagles at Clare Street.

After a goalless opening half, Eagles took the lead through an own-goal after veteran Richard Leszczynski headed the ball into the danger zone, but Mark Falzon salvaged a point for the league-leaders with a well-taken goal.

Eagles are now a point adrift of second-last Metro-Claremont and six behind eighth-placed Taroona.

South Hobart moved into second spot, four points behind Zebras, by beating University 2-0 at South Hobart.

South dominated the match, but scored only through a penalty conceded needlessly by University and an easy goal following a terrible error at the back by the Students.

Craig Stockdale brought down Colin Wain in the 19^th minute as he tried to cut out Tom Roach’s pass and Hugh Ludford netted with the spot-kick, although Ashley Winter got his hands to the ball.

Ten minutes before the interval, University sweeper Takayuki Manaka, making his debut after signing from South Hobart, allowed Roach to gain possession and the South Hobart midfielder advanced on goal and was untroubled in scoring.

In the Reserve League, goals by Arctic adventurer Robert Knight, Darcy McCallum and Callan Paske gave South Hobart a 3-0 win over University, while a Dylan Fennell strike was enough for Zebras to down Eagles 1-0.

Hobart Olympic beat Glenorchy Knights 4-1, with Ayman Abdallah netting twice and Courtney Winter and Saad Mohamad, the latter with a penalty, scoring one apiece. Ivan Vucica replied for the Knights.

In Division One, goals by John Manasseh, Matt Laning, Isaac Lucas, John De Vries and Tim Wierenga gave Christian United a 5-0 win over Huon Valley.

Nelson Eastern Suburbs drew 2-2 with Northern Suburbs-DOSA, but DOSA’s Derek Story had a penalty saved by Joseph Martinez.

Story, with another penalty, and Jonathon Bellette netted for DOSA, while Nelson replied through Matthew Rudewych and an own-goal following a free-kick by Bill Hanley.

Two goals by Benjamin Wolyan and one by Akuel Guot gave Hobart United a 3-1 win over Kingborough Lions United, which replied through Levy Causon.

The Tuesday Story

• Goran Jozeljic