New faces at opposite extremes of the experience spectrum have given the North's NPL sides a timely boost.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Launceston City fielded a side which included five players still eligible for under-18s last week so have been delighted with the return of well-travelled midfield general Gedi Krusa.
Meanwhile, Riverside Olympic coach Alex Gaetani dropped two teenagers in the deep end for the 2-1 loss to Olympia and was delighted to report they both surfaced without the need for teammate Aaron Campbell to use his lifeguard skills.
Keeper Will Ferrall performed admirably in the absence of the suspended Dan Nash while Toby Simeoni looked equally at home on the right flank.
"Will's our under-18 keeper who has been around the club for a few years," Gaetani said. "He's a young fella with a lot of ability who did really well. He pulled off some really good saves. The result was certainly not down to him being in the sticks.
"Toby is another great young fella. He's fast, physical and fantastic. It was a no-brainer to play him and he looked comfortable at this level. He's been around the squad for a while now.
"It's great to know we do have depth and quality, but that is still not resulting in victories."
Krusa was cup tied for City's Lakoseljac semi-final loss to Glenorchy but coach Lino Sciulli said the former Devonport Striker has been a priceless addition since returning from a month playing in Queensland.
"He's a good player and wanted by a lot of clubs because he's very skilful and gets through a lot of work," Sciulli said. "He talks to the young guys and it's good to have that old head in a young side. And sometimes they listen to him."
With just four points between them so far, Riverside heads to champion Devonport a couple of hours before City host second-placed South Hobart.
ROUND 9
Saturday
2.15pm Devonport v Riverside, Valley Road
4.30pm Launceston City v South Hobart, Prospect Park
4.30pm Glenorchy Knights v Kingborough, KGV
4.30pm Clarence v Olympia, Wentworth Park
Ladder
TEAM P W D L GD Pts
Glenorchy 7 6 1 0 +20 19
South Hobart 7 5 1 1 +12 16
Devonport 8 5 1 2 +4 16
Kingborough 8 5 0 3 +3 15
Olympia 7 3 1 3 -3 10
Clarence 7 1 1 5 -11 4
Ltn City 7 1 0 6 -17 3
Riverside 7 0 1 6 -8 1
- sportstg.com