South Hobart confident of toppling leaders Zebras tonight

Third-placed and reigning champions South Hobart can move to within three points of Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League leaders Tilford Zebras by winning their match at KGV Park at 8pm tonight.

Given their current form and Zebras’ inconsistency, this is not an entirely implausible scenario.

Zebras’ defence is looking very fragile these days and South could exploit this.

Zebras coach Nick Lapolla will wait until the last possible moment before naming his side publicly.

“It’ll basically be the same side as last time and we’ll see how we go,” Lapolla said.

“To be quite honest, I haven't finalised the team yet.

“We’re still looking at a couple.

“Overall, I hope it should be a good game. It’s an important game for both sides.

“Two good-quality teams are playing so it should an interesting, entertaining game.

“We’ll see what happens.”

South Hobart coach Ken Morton has a full-strength squad from which to pick.

“I don’t envisage making any changes from the last game,” said Morton.

Bart Beecroft and Dean Willcock, who has returned after 18 months in the UK, will probably be included in the squad.

“I think it’ll be a typical South Hobart versus Zebras game,” Morton added.

“Both teams will feel each other out and maybe be a bit tentative.

“I’m not one to overplay things, but we, as a group, are obviously in fine fettle.

“After having the injuries that we’ve had, we’re probably in a good situation coming in to this game.

“We’re playing with a good spirit, and we’ve got a good determination among the players.

“If you take the Clarence game and the Olympia game - I wasn’t at the White Eagles game but the ground was a bit heavy - but in those two games in particular, we played with a good passing rhythm and certainly got good penetration.

“That’s the sort of performance we have to look for against the Zebras.

“But, we have to remember Zebras have scored 60 goals, nearly 30 goals more than we’ve scored.

“We are confident, though. We’ll go into the match full of confidence.

“I think the tension comes, from our point of view, where it’s a key game and we need to win it.

“If we win it, then that applies a bit of pressure on Zebras.

“If we don’t win it, then it eases that pressure on Zebras and puts more pressure on us to finish second, third or fourth.

“From our aspect, therefore, it’s an important game and a game we need to win.

“A draw won’t hurt us, but we need to win and start to apply some pressure.

“I mean, while there’s a massive goals-for, the goal-difference actually isn’t that great, maybe seven goals between us, and we have a game in hand.

“All of that doesn’t come into play for me.

“What comes into play is that it’s one against three, and three can start to apply pressure if we win.

“And, that’s exactly what we’ve got to do.

“We’ve come off two excellent wins, and I mean wins with a performance.”

Morton said that Ben Crosswell was obviously a Zebras player to watch, and he did not discount the possibility of Aaron Brazendale playing.

Brazendale is supposedly overseas, but Morton was not convinced he has left yet.

He also thought Zebras might use Brett Pullen and Paul Cairns in midfield.

“We’ll have to put pressure on the ball and make it difficult for them,” Morton said.

“We expect Pullen to play.”

A women’s match between Hobart Olympic and South Hobart is listed as the curtain-raiser at 6pm, but there is some doubt as to whether it will go ahead.

South Hobart coach Dirk Gadd sought to have the game postponed as he is having trouble fielding a side because of injuries and players being unavailable, but FFT have shown no sympathy with South’s plight and have rostered the game to go ahead.

South’s game last Friday was abandoned by the referee at half-time when South could only field six players for the second half.

And, Thursday night's game between Clarence United and University has once again been postponed - for the second week in a row.

Why FFT don't simply schedule that game as the curtain-raiser tonight at KGV and have a double-header, which would attract a lot of fans, is difficult to fathom.