LIONS STILL IN THE RACE
The NPL Tasmania and the Women’s Super League standings could be shaken up today with clashes between mid-table rivals.
With Devonport holding an eight-point lead atop the NPL, second-placed Glenorchy and thirdplaced Kingborough will look to keep their title hopes alive when they meet this afternoon.
After a disappointing loss last week, Kingborough assistant coach Romilton Amaral says the Lions will be looking to bounce back strongly.
“All the players are very excited to be able to meet the team who are in second place, that means the chance for us to come back with three points,” Amaral said.
While it sits 11 points adrift of the leaders, Kingborough is not ready to admit defeat in the title fight. “Mathematically, we are still in the race … anything can happen, there’s nine games left,” Amaral said.
It’s a similar mindset for Glenorchy and after coming from behind to win last year’s title, midfielder Eduardo Castaneda says the Knights aren’t ruling out another late-season run.
“We just look to the positive side and look at each week as we’ve got to get three points and leave whatever’s going to happen with Devonport in their hands,” Castaneda said.
Regardless, their sole focus today will be on the challenge of beating a strong Kingborough side.
“We always keep [the title] in the back of our mind that it’s a possibility, but we definitely focus on the game at hand,” Castaneda said.
In the WSL, Taroona and Kingborough sit level on points in fifth and sixth place ahead of their meeting today. Taroona claimed its second win of the season last round and forward Caitlin Riley says it needs to build on that momentum against Kingborough.
“We’ve got to go into it with that intensity we had last week and treat them as a real threat,” Riley said.
With star Lion Laura Davis returning from a long injury lay-off, Kingborough coach Simon Edwards is hoping his side can kickstart a late-season surge in today’s game. “Laura brings good on-field leadership and her aggression on the ball and her power is something we’ve been lacking,” Edwards said.
“We’ll have to play a good game, but we’re certainly looking to, I’ll be honest, up our goal difference.”