Launceston City welcomed the travelling Olympia Warriors up to Buckby Land Rover Park on Saturday evening as they looked to continue on their recent string of wins. It wasn’t to be however as the Warriors ran rampant in a dominant first half display that eventuated in a 2-0 win for the boys from Warrior Park that sealed a second placed finish.

An Olympia side missing Sklenar and Mearns through injury and Lucas Hill for an accumulation of yellow cards kicked into gear after 10 minutes as the Bellini, Cartwright and Leaman show was on display.

For large parts of the second half City didn’t have any answers on how to deal with Cartwright who was playing the sole striker up front, Bellini playing left wing and Leaman overlapping from left full back.

The chance to opening the scoring fell to young Thomas Bellini as he was released through on goal with only Clark to beat in the City net. Clark spread himself and managed to save with an outstretched leg to deny the youngster.

City had very few chances in the first half and Olympia continued to threaten as Bellini dribbled inside from the left and was brought down by Mahony on the edge of the area.

The resulting free kick was taken by James Mccarthy, he hit it well and on target that forced Clark into a good save to keep it at 0-0.

As the corners were racking up for Olympia, City were beginning to come under immense pressure and it eventually told.

A Mccarthy corner was played deep and was then sent back into the box where Paul Stevens attempted to strike on goal. He didn’t get much of it but he sent it into the path of Warren Wadawu who was tasked with finishing the easiest of chances and he slotted it past Clark to give the Warriors a deserved lead after 22 minutes of play.

Cartwright then almost doubled the Warriors lead 3 minutes later but was denied once more by the outstretched leg of Lachlan Clark in the City goal.

On the 30th minute mark Cartwright got his goal that he and the Warriors deserved as he broke away in behind after calls for offside were waved away. He made his way en route to goal, cutting back inside Butler who tracked back, tripped over his own feet but recovered to coolly place a curling shot past Clark and just inside the far post to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

The Warriors then came within whiskers of adding goal number three and would have done if not for the post as the ball was crossed to the back post to Undy and his headed effort back across goal beat everyone but not the far post and the score remained 2-0 in the Warriors favour.

City came out with a changed formation in the second half to try and stop the likes of Leaman getting forward and creating havoc, the change to a 4-3-3 seemed to have worked as they started to bring themselves back into the game.

City went close to pegging a goal back in the 50th minute as Noah Mies drove at the Olympia defence, laying off to Campbell who played it back to Mies, his driving shot was saved by Cole it rebounded to Compagne but he couldn’t keep his effort down and skied it over the bar.

Olympia should have extended their lead following some wonderful interplay. Mccarthy won the ball in the middle of the park, layed it off to Undy, who played a one-two with Bellini. Undy then played it to Cartwright at the top of the box and he in turn laid a ball off to the advancing Mccarthy in behind the City defence to just slot past Clark. He attempted to beat Clark with power from close range but it smashed into the crossbar and was cleared to safety by City.

From there on City started to finally click and in the last 20 minutes of the game and took it to Olympia.

They went close once more to getting themselves back into the game as Campbell broke away from inside his own defensive half. At the top of the box he played a back heel to Compagne who struck the ball that Cole had seemed to have covered until the ball bobbled right in front of him and forced the Warriors keeper into a sharp reaction save.

It looked like City got their goal on the 86th minute. When Compagne crossed into the box from the left wing in the direction of Mies. Mies rose highest and looked to head it back across goal and it looked like he had done enough but Cole made an excellent save at full stretch to keep City out once more.

In the end the clock beat City before they could get back into the game, they finished strongly but it was a case of too little too late as the Warriors held onto their first half lead to finish up 2-0 victors, which also sealed second spot on the ladder after their Eastern Shore rivals Clarence , who they meet in the final round next week, had defeated Devonport earlier in the day at Wentworth Park.

Post Game