University of Tasmania SC v Glenorchy Knights FC, Olinda Grove, 16/06/12

Classic mid-season relegation scrap today. This game could be a turning point in the season, with a resurgent Knights fresh from winning the Lakoseljac Cup having the opportunity effectively to end the relegation battle today. The home team will have other ideas of course and a Victory to them will only muddy the waters of relegation and put the Knights stone cold last.

Neither time has much to crow about in league form so it should be a good and willing encounter. But 4-1 to Knights is my prediction. The game starts at 2.30 and I'll get there about 2. I'm looking forward to the views.

History

The University club traces its history back to 1950. Its web site history page starts off well before thinning out just as it gets interesting.

The Tasmania University Soccer Club had its first game on Saturday the 15th April 1950 losing to South Hobart 15-1. Our goal was scored by Bill Gatehouse from the penalty spot.

We first ran out in white t-shirts but the first real strip were ex University footy guernseys and the next year a set of all yellow shirts of Proudly Empire cotton (Hong Kong). Rod Miller has a surviving First Uni shirt and one of the old “Blood and Gore” strip (Yellow & Red striped strip).

The Clubs first win was Saturday 17 June 1950, our sixth game, when University defeated Mount Nelson 2-1. Our Goalscorer was Malcolm Searle who scored two and best players were Jimmy Kwong, Fred Joughin and Malcolm Searle.

University players were first referred to as “the students” in The Mercury newspaper in an article on Monday the 18th July 1955.

Our first State team player was Franz Hadorn who, in July 1961, played for Tasmania against a Victorian side.

There's a slightly more substantial history on the club's old site. It includes this little snippet of scandal and strength in adversity:

At the end of the 1958 season, a group of players split from the Club to form the Arcadians Soccer Club. This devastated the "Students" and in one early roster game in 1959 only seven players took to the field. Such was the spirit of this early Uni side that one of these players was badly injured but lined-up so that the Club wouldn't forfeit the game.

Where are the Arcadians now? That's what I'd like to know. I'm surprised that neither site makes much of the fact that a team representing the University first played on 29 July 1899.

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Got here at the top of the world at 2 pm.

The top of the World. The winner of the most spectacular soccer ground in Hobart prize, Olinda Grove.

Warm up/underage thrid ground

It's all over in the ressies/

Last minute goal wins it for knights reserves 2-1.

The white elephant cricket pitch and university clubhouse in the background.

Apparently cricket clubs won't hire the wicket because they are charged for the use of two fields. The bizarre outcome is that this costs $66 per hour while the top grade turf wicket down at the university only costs $33 per hour. Bureaucrats for you.

The keeper's view on olinda grove #2.

Both teams warming up. A pitch each to themselves.

2.43. Underway. University running away from the clubhouse.

I'm looking forward to seeing uni keeper Hamish Peacock's throws. He's a javelin champion who nearly qualified for the Olympics.

Both sides tentative. Not a lot or energy yet.

2.47.  Knights shot wide left.

2.48. Good hard throw by Peacock releases player on left. Cross to right played back to middle and shot missing left. Knights will have to watch that.

2.51. Knights corner right. Short. Cross missed at back post.

2.52. Peacock again starts good attack that results in poor shot.

A lot of chopping going on. Ref needs to get on to it.

2.59. Knights corner left. Along the ground. Cleared.

3.00. Scramble in uni area.  Knights starting to look on top.

3.02.  Knights fk 30 out. Bounced of an attacker's backside. Weak shot gathered.

3.03. Weak shot uni.

3.04. Dangerous moment.  Knights keeper out bravely.

3.05. Knights Andrew Robb is getting hacked constantly. Nice shot by him from right. Just over.

3.06. Uni go to other end and go close.

3.09. Dumb own goal. Knights up 1-0. Maybe it was the only way they were going to break the deadlock.

3.12. Uni yellow. Knights fk 25 out on left. Shot wide right.

Uni too physical in trying to impose themselves. Giving away s lot of fouls.

3.15. Lobbed shot by  Knights. Caught carefully by Peacock.

3.17. Strang in one on one. Poor first touch. Keeper out well and cleared.

Messy game. Neither side looking likely to score.

3.29. Uni yellow. Fk left 30 out. Strang receives ball and shoots at keeper. Saves.

3.30. Half time. 1-0 to knights.

Missed start of second half. Talking to a couple of recently retired players, Graham Smith and Tommy Ballantyne, Hobart's biggest Motherwell fan I'm told.

Uni have come out looking to get back in the game. They are working hard and dominating possession so far.

Poor choices being made. Kiwi losing possession twice in quick succession.

3.57. Uni long ball easily defused.

3.58. K corner to back post. Headed over for goal kick.

4.02. K corner left. Penalty. Goal. 2-0.

4.08. Uni players getting enough threatening possession but the cut back from the right is always at the wrong angle. Often brought back too far to no one.

4.10. Uni attack again. Half decent through ball over weighted in the end.

4.11. Nasty tackle. Yellow to uni.  Knights fk 25 out. Comes to nothing.

4:13. Uni attack once more. Defused.

4.14. Long ball uni.

4.14. Letiko misses sitter. Side foots wide when it was easier to put in net.

4.16. Kiwi is getting s lot of ball but his distribution is letting down his tenacity.

4.17. Uni corner right. Uni head clash. Ball headed over for goal kick.

4.19. Knights fk 30 out in front. Floated in for peacock to catch.

4.20 Uni go to other end. Cross from right headed wide.

4.21. End to end. Knights keeper gathers a dangerous through ball on the bounce.

4.22. Cross from right. Letiko missed header.

4.24. Knights corner left.

4.25. Uni counter. Poor cross from right.

4.26. Card to Robb. Uni fk 40 out. Kick cleared and pumped back in. Penaly appeals. Cleared and counter.

4.28. Knights corner. Lovely shot from Robb. Keeper got touch.

4.29. Corner cleared. Uni counter. Booted clear.

4.30. Uni working hard. Shot cleared off line by desperate defence.

4.33. More good work by uni. Poor cross from left.

4.34. Uni fk. 40 out. Defused and cleared.

4.36. Full time. Knights 2-0.

Enjoyed the second half more because uni seemed more in it. Knights deserve win. But they won't take much away from it.