Accuracy vital as Warriors eye top

OLYMPIA coach Rob Clarke says his players need to minimise the number of mistakes they make in tonight’s crucial NPL Tasmania clash with South Hobart at Warrior Park.

The second-placed Warriors can leapfrog leader Devonport with a win over thirdplaced South to kick off Round 20 of 27 tonight, but will have played two more games than the Strikers.

If the Warriors win, the Strikers can reclaim top spot with a victory or draw against the fourth-placed Hobart Zebras at KGV on Sunday.

Clarke said he hopes the title race goes down to the wire, because the Warriors need to keep winning and hope the Strikers drop points to stand a chance. Olympia and South have met three times this year — Olympia won 2-1 in Round 1, they drew 3-3 in Round 11, and South won 5-2 in the Lakoseljac Cup semi-final.

“We made too many mistakes in the cup semi, and they capitalised on it and after a couple of goals it just changes the game completely,” Clarke said.

“If we can perform like we did in the first game of the season, I think we were the better side for most of that game and that’s what we’ll be trying to do. I think [in] a lot of the games in the NPL, a lot of goals, certainly, are caused by mistakes from teams, so we want to make sure that we limit ours and we put enough pressure on South that we can force them into making a few.”

With his side 10 points adrift of the Strikers heading into the final eight rounds, South coach Ken Morton said something dramatic needed to happen to Devonport for his team to contend for the title.

He is expecting a tough battle tonight, and said Olympia’s home-ground advantage will play a big role. “[It’s a] little ground, tight ground, pitch is lively, I think it’s a massive advantage to them,” Morton said.

Olympia will welcome back forward Joffrey Nkoso, while South Hobart will likely be missing Alex Walter and Kasper Hallam, both with ankle injuries.

The fifth-placed Kingborough Lions host sixth-placed Launceston City at Lightwood Park tomorrow. Cellar dweller Riverside Olympic and Clarence United meet at Windsor Park, also tomorrow.

In the Women’s Super League, bottom side Clarence hosts ladder leader Olympia in an Eastern Shore derby at Wentworth Park tomorrow.

The second-placed Zebras travel north to take on thirdplaced Ulverstone, and fifthplaced South hosts fourthplaced Kingborough.