The half way point of the season will be behind us after this weekend, with every team having played each other once, and each team having played one team twice, with the exception of Northern Rangers. Wins to Devonport or Riverside, Prospect and Rangers will heap pressure back on Ulverstone, who could be still top at the end of this round.
Ulverstone sit this week out with the bye, and will watch with eagerness, hoping for a few draws to give themselves a greater shot at the title.
Devonports Kiren Mulraney out of this weeks clash with Riverside
Match of the round would have to be Riverside Vs Devonport at Windsor park.Devonport will be short a few quality players in Kiran Mulraney and Cam Douglas but have quality to come back in.The unknown is Jesse Curran who sat out last week against Ulverstone, and looked to be missed in midfield.Mulraney will be particularly missed, as his pace and composure has scored the lions share of Devonport’s goals, the weight of expectation will now lay on the shoulders of playing coach Chris Mckenna, who looks far from his best at the moment, and nowhere near as mobile as in past years.
Riverside on the other hand look to be in good shape, and will need to be against a hungry Devonport, the loser of this match will almost certainly be gone from the championship race and both will know full well the importance of the 3points here.
City's Anthony Macri has been quiet this year.
Prospect will travel next door for the traditional rivalry match with Launceston City.City picked up a few of the talented Prospect youngsters, but have been struggling to finish games, even the one they did win, almost got away from them with a fast finishing Burnie.Prospect have generally just done enough, and could be the sleeping challenger this year.
Chris Pickering and Sam Cocks back into the line up for Knights should give them too much fire power for City, however, City have shown in many games this year, if they can stitch 90 minutes of good football together, they can take points off nearly anyone.
Launceston United travel to Burnie with more than a few players out of their line up, but Burnie have lost Mitchell Stitz to basket ball, but are reported to have resigned Pete vanEk to strengthen their back line.It could well be Burnie’s chance with Rumble, Hudson and Andrew Clarke all out for this match for Launceston.
In the final match on the Coast, Northern Rangers will travel to Somerset in what is expected to be somewhat of a mud bath come 2:30.
Somerset look to have a full list available for the match, and Northern Rangers are not far from full strength themselves.Mark Ambrose is away overseas but Scott Murray has returned from his stint away and will start from the bench.Issa Dumbuya comes back into the starting line up in mid field.
The wet pitch should even things up a little, but Rangers will be keen to win and take back top spot on the table.For Somerset any points will serve them well as they try to break away from the strugglers at present.
A big warning sign to the rest of the competition today was sent out by Ulverstone, as they set about clinically dismantling Devonport at the Ulverstone Showgrounds.Ulverstone never looked under threat but for 15 minutes in the first half between the 25 and 40 minute mark.
Ulverstone went 1-0 up early when Brayden Mann headed home the opener, he could have had two shortly after when he timed a magic diving header at the far post, but was denied but a great save.Ulverstone did double their lead though when Jason Singleton put in a nice corner for the Reds, the keeper failed to clear the high ball adequately and it fell for Harry Crocker who volleyed home the shot for 2-0.
Devonport responded well and hit back through Kiren Mulraney who headed home a free kick for Devonport, and the strikers looked up and about again.
After half time it was an even opening 10 minutes until Ulverstone restored their lead through Joel Stone, then Nathan Gratton pulled one back for the visitors in a goal mouth scramble to give the Strikers some hope at 3-2.
But from here it was the Brayden Mann show for the crowd who had turned up despite the inclement weather.Mann restored the 2 goal buffer within 60 seconds of Gratton’s goal with a nice strike, and then shortly after completed his hat trick with a well worked cut in after he was put through by Dallas Balldock, he cut back in from the bye line and beat the keeper with a nice strike at the near post, just another minute from here and he had 4 after he collected the ball with high pressure on Granton and his keeper, Mann stole the ball from them and slotted it in between the two, neither of the defenders knowing exactly what just happened, but all at the ground sure of the result.6-2 to Ulverstone.
Could be a changing of the guard on the North West coast?But Ulverstone were worth their win today without doubt.
