A long-standing Launceston soccer rivalry will be renewed on Wednesday with both parties desperate to kickstart their seasons.
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Launceston City and Riverside Olympic enjoyed many cross-town derbies during their respective heydays before the latter's absence from statewide competition postponed the neighbourly arrangement 21 years ago.
However, the Roos' promotion to NPL Tasmania after winning last year's Northern Championship has resumed hostilities with Propsect Park set to host the first of this season's three encounters at 6.30pm.
Both sides will be looking to pick up their first points of the campaign having begun with identical 2-1 and 5-1 losses to be locked together on a -5 goal difference.
The clubs have several established dynasties with Olympic's Tom Prince and Jasper King plus City's Noah Mies and Charlie Dyer savouring the same rivalry previously enjoyed by their respective fathers Lynden, Rob, Roger and Justin.
City coach Lino Sciulli also played in the statewide derbies of the late '90s along with his opposite number Alex Gaetani's father Mark.
Adopting contrasting approaches to the contest, Gaetani said his players had been eagerly awaiting the match while Sciulli was keen to take the derby angle out of City's preparation.
"We''ll worry about our game not theirs," Sciulli said.
"We'll look at some footage of them and give our guys a light training session. We'll work out what injuries we've got and then build a team around that."
Gaetani responded: "We cannot wait for it. The boys are pretty excited to come up against a club that for a long time in the last state league were our big rivals. Plus we have not played a night game for a long time so there is a big interest in the game.
"I can imagine the old Riverside-City night games were always fun and I'm sure a lot of the older supporters will be looking forward to more of that."
To add extra spice to the occasion, defender Aaron Campbell has returned to Windsor Park after a season playing NPL with City whose squad now includes former Riverside playmaker Lukas Souter.
Meanwhile Peter Sawdon, who was Olympic's coach during their last statewide involvement, was also in charge at City until a surprise departure on the eve of the campaign.