Photo:  Olympia goalkeeper Rob Kay was rarely threatened [PlessPix]

Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League (Warrior Park, Saturday, 25 June 2011)

Olympia Warriors 2 (Corbett 42, Colosimo 76)

Tilford Zebras 1 (Self 70)

HT: 1-0   Att: 120   Ref: I Jozeljic

Olympia Warriors: Kay  -  Hey (Meredith 15), Van Der Mey, Dzelalija, Colosimo  -  Wadawu, Mason, Kumpulainen, Cronk  -  Fielding, Corbett (Grillas 65)

Tilford Zebras: Mainella  -  Muller, Telega, Smith, K Engels  -  Self, Andrews (Walsh 46), Ladic, McIntyre  -  Welch, Cripps (Thorpe 80)

Photo:  Olympia's Brady Cronk gains possession and starts an attack [PlessPix]

Olympia Warriors continued their excellent Milan Lakoseljac Memorial Trophy run with a third win in a row, this time against the second-placed team on the Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League ladder.

And, they deserved this victory.  They had many more chances than the Zebras, who looked anaemic in attack and fragile in defence.

Zebras had two half-chances, once when a tame shot flew straight at goalkeeper Robert Kay, and another when Jake Van Der Mey had to clear off the line.

In contrast, Olympia were often dangerous and only excellent saves by Frank Mainella against Chris Kumpulainen and Domhnall Corbett kept Zebras in the match.

Photo:  Olympia's Jake Van Der Mey heads home but the goal is disallowed because of a foul on the keeper [PlessPix]

Olympia hit the front three minutes before the break when a left-wing cross by substitute Nick Meredith found Corbett with his back to goal.  He contorted himself to kick the ball over his head and, with Mainella slightly off his line, the ball dropped under the bar and into the net.

Zebras drew level in the 70th minute following an Andrew Telega free-kick from deep on the left.  The ball was allowed to bounce in the box and found Ricky Self, who smashed it home.

Photo:  Zebras' Andrew Telega chests the ball down and halts an Olympia attack [PlessPix]

Six minutes later, Olympia scored an unlikely winner.  Lee Mason released Joshua Colosimo down the left and his cross took a bounce before hitting the base of the far post and spinning over the line.  Mainella appeared to have it covered, although the presence of Olympia striker Kosta Grillas may have distracted him.

Mainella said later that the artificial surface had played a part in the ball hitting the post instead of carrying wide, and also in spinning over the line.

Olympia are now in the semi-finals of the competition, but their minds are firmly on the league, where are they 3 points ahead of bottom-side Beachside and with another game against the Zebras scheduled at KGV Park this coming Friday.

Photo:  Former Juventus star Remo Carnevale and former South Hobart player Joe Martelli at the game [PlessPix]

Olympia Warriors coach, Franco Previdi, said:

“A win is a win.  They are second and they looked tired.

“I thought we played better than usual and we wanted it a bit more.  I think we had a few more chances than them.

Photo:  The smile on Franco Previdi's face says it all [PlessPix]

“I know the second goal a little bit lucky, but, you know, sometimes you need a little bit of luck to win.

“I don’t believe Olympia deserves to be second from the bottom on the league ladder, but, unfortunately, we are.

“We’ll take one week at a time and I’m very happy.”

Photo:  Zebras' Ricky Self gives Olympia's Joshua Colosimo and Lee Mason the slip [PlessPix]

Tilford Zebras coach, Romeo Frediani, said:

“I think we played some really good passages, but they were tiny little bits.  I think we went back to being individuals again.

“After a couple of weeks of playing really good football, for some reason we just turned it around to go back to individuals.

“I’m pretty shattered.  I’m sure the boys are, too.”

Photo:  Olympia's Lee Mason (right) confronts Zebras' Ricky Self [PlessPix]

Photo:  Zebras' Ricky Self (left) eludes Olympia's Brady Cronk [PlessPix]