Devonport looks to strike top form

AFTER consecutive “down weeks”, Devonport Strikers captain Brayden Mann says his second-placed side is ready to bounce back against the Hobart Zebras at KGV tomorrow.

The Strikers lost top spot to South Hobart a fortnight ago, and that loss was compounded by a draw with bottom team Launceston City last week, leaving Devonport four points off the pace.

Mann believes Devonport was carried away with its early season success.

“We just stopped working hard, we probably did become a little bit complacent and that work rate and fire that we had to try and be the best team kind of went out of us,” he said.

With only six rounds to play, Mann said every game was now a must-win for the Strikers, but he believes they can still defend their title.

“We’re still not out of the title race, we’re still going to fight and claw for that,” he said.

“We’ve had a couple of down weeks and now for us it’s just about bouncing back from that, and that’s what good teams do.”

The Zebras are out of the title running, sitting 16 points behind South in fourth place and without a win in their past three games.

Coach Tommy Fotak said his team’s season had been hampered by injuries to several key players, and viewed tomorrow’s clash as a chance to prove that the Zebras could still match it with the best.

“I think at full strength we’re definitely competitive with them,” Fotak said.

“I think that shows in terms of where Zebras were on the table earlier in the season when their full squad was available, they were at the top or near top.”

The third-placed Olympia Warriors take on the sixthplaced Kingborough Lions at Warrior Park tomorrow.

The Warriors will be hoping to return to winning ways from their last-gasp 3-2 loss to South Hobart last week, while the Lions will be out to build on their draw with the Zebras.

The fifth-placed Northern Rangers are closing in on the Zebras, and they host bottom side Launceston City at the NTCA in the Northern derby tomorrow.

South Hobart will be looking to capitalise on any slip-up from the Strikers, or consolidate their lead if Devonport wins, by defeating seventhplaced Clarence United at Darcy Street on Sunday.