Knights keen to finish with flair

GLENORCHY coach James Sherman says he would rather finish seventh playing good football than fifth playing poor football as the Knights prepare to tackle one of the toughest road trips in NPL Tasmania.

The fifth-placed Knights, who have the sixth-placed Kingborough Lions and seventh-placed Launceston City snapping at their heels, take on ladder leader Devonport at Valley Road tomorrow.

The Strikers have all but secured the NPL Tasmania title, holding a six-point lead over second-placed Olympia Warriors with a game in hand heading into the final five rounds. The Knights broke a six-game losing streak by beating bottom side Clarence United, and made it back-to-back wins with a victory over Riverside Olympic last week.

Just two points now separate the Knights, Lions, and Launceston, but Sherman said he was “not overly fussed” if his side — which has been ravaged by injury and unavailability this season — finishes fifth or seventh.

“We haven’t won, so if you’re not first, you’re last, and we haven’t made a cup final, so yeah, if we finish fifth I won’t be any more disappointed than I would if we were seventh,” Sherman said.

“If we go and play some really good football in the last six weeks and we’re unlucky, I would rather that than play rubbish ... and not see any progression and get points — that’s just where we’re at now.”

Devonport beat Glenorchy 4-0 at Valley Road in Round 4, and 5-2 in Round 14, and while Sherman said causing an upset was “probably a little bit beyond” his side, they will be going up there aiming to win and earn some respect back.

He said the trip to Valley Road was one of the toughest road trips in the league. “There and Darcy Street are the toughest away grounds, Launceston City is not easy,” he said.

Olympia hosts Clarence at Warrior Park tomorrow. The Eastern Shore rivals sit at opposite ends of the ladder, with the Warriors leading Clarence by 41 points after 20 matches.

Third-placed South Hobart travels north to take on seventh-placed Launceston City at Buckby Land Rover Park, and eighth-placed Riverside hosts sixth-placed Kingborough Lions at Windsor Park in tomorrow’s other matches.

In the Women’s Super League, ladder leaders Hobart Zebras host third-placed Ulverstone at KGV tomorrow.

The Warriors are second, equal on points with the Zebras but with an inferior goal difference, and they take on fifthplaced Clarence.