Hobart United 4-1 Christian United
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Hobart United warmed up for their important game against Metro on Saturday with this 4-1 win over bottom-side Christian United on a Wednesday evening at KGV Park.
Hobart United dominated possession and had far more chances against a Christian United outfit that put together some decent counter-attacks and might have scored more goals to make a closer contest of this.
Christian United missed the experience of veterans such as Leno Taglieri and Mathew Sly.
They had David Noble in goal. He is usually a central defender but did very well between the posts, displaying courage and good ball handling.
He moved to the outfield in the 63rd minute, with the score at 1-1, when Tony New went off and substitute Stephen Dixon went in goal.
Akuel Guot eventually scored twice, but he missed numerous chances and should have had a couple of hat-tricks.
Christian United looked threatening in the opening minutes and Hobart United keeper Nathan Grandin was almost caught out from a throw-in after just two minutes, but he recovered his ground and managed to clear in time.
A minute later, Guot beat Chris Mrzyk down the left and cut inside, but Noble got down to his cross and snatched the ball safely.
In the 5th minute, Hobart United took a quick short corner and Peter Otto shot wide of the target from the right.
Guot was given another opening a minute later by Justin Letiko, but his shot went harmlessly across the face of goal.
Christian had their first real chance in the 9th minute when Ashley Page forced a corner with a shot.
From the corner, Tim Wierenga had a shot blocked and the ball fell to Wilson Lumago, who fired wide.
Hobart United produced a fine attacking move on the quarter-hour when Peter Otto slipped the ball to Letiko, whose shot was saved by Noble. The ball fell to Guot, who fired into the side-netting from close range.
Letiko broke through on the right in the 17th minute, but Noble dealt easily with his shot as it was directed straight at him.
Guot had another chance in the 20th minute after Alex Bellini’s thrown in from the half-way line on the left was flicked on to him, but again the striker fired wide of the target.
Christian United were still dangerous on the counter-attack, however, and in the 23rd minute, a fierce snap-shot by Wierenga went straight at Grandin.
A minute later, a long ball out of defence by George Lotiko found Guot, who raced for goal, but the courageous Noble saved at the striker’s feet.
In the 29th minute, Christian were unlucky not to take the lead when a long-range free-kick by Brodie Whayman hit the top of the crossbar.
On the half-hour, a suicidal back-pass by Guot picked out Page, who beat two defenders but then mis-kicked at the crucial moment when he should really have scored.
Wilson Lumago was replaced in the 35th minute by Isaac Gwolo after Lumago injured a foot in a tackle by Peter Otto.
Lumago writhed in agony on the ground for a moment, then bounced to his feet and threw his boot on the ground in a display of frustration as he was helped from the pitch.
In the 33rd minute, Letiko’s shot flew straight at the keeper, while at the other end, Scott Nicholson sent a long-range free-kick wide.
In the 38th minute, Guot had two chances in quick succession but put the first straight at the keeper and the second wide of the target.
Hobart United had a penalty appeal turned down in the 41st minute after it appeared as if Ben De Hoog had handled, but it was only a half-hearted appeal at best and rightly ignored by Mr Thain.
Noble again showed his goalkeeping prowess in the 42nd minute when he smothered a close-range attempt at goal by Letiko.
But, on the stroke of half-time, Christian United’s resistance finally crumbled when Guot struck home Samson Rume’s low cross from the right to make it 1-0 at the interval.
Four minutes after the resumption, Peter Otto cut in from the right after a sharp turn and slipped the ball through the Christian defence for Guot to score and make it 2-0.
Christian’s perseverance was rewarded in the 67th minute, however, when Whayman forced the ball over the line to pull a goal back.
Hobart United struck back within a minute when Letiko netted to make it 3-1, and the same player then struck a post two minutes later as Hobart United stepped up a gear against a tiring Christian United side.
Adam Woodward made it 4-1 in the 79th minute with a ferocious shot that hit the under-side of the bar and bounced down and over the line before rebounding into play.
The eagle-eyed assistant referee signalled immediately that the ball had crossed the line and there were no protests.
Hobart United brought on their two remaining substitutes in the closing minutes as they coasted to a victory which moved them up a place to fifth on the Division One ladder.
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· Hobart United coach, Mark Broadbent, said:
“I thought it was a fantastic game.
“Having the width of the field and the depth of the field played to our advantage because we were able to use our width and to use the whole park.
“Having Christian being a body heavy team, playing one and two touches are highly important.
“If you get caught with the ball they’ll crunch you.
“I think playing one and two touch found more space and found more options for us to advance up to the forward third of the park.
“So, bring on Metro.”
· Christian United defender, Scott Nicholson, said:
“A good game in the first half when I thought we matched it with them throughout most of the first half.
“There was a lot of running obviously in it and I thought the skills were pretty good.
“Come the second half, they got a bit of a run on us in the first, I suppose, ten minutes, a couple of goals on us, which flattened us as usual.
“It seems to be the same thing that happens with us. Second half, we come out and we lose the tempo.
“I think we just started to run out of legs.
“Subs is a big thing with us. Having three really good subs on the bench would really make a big difference.
“But, the guys gave everything they could and I really appreciate all the boys.”
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Hobart United: Grandin - Walker, Bellini, Lotiko - P Otto (Chatwin 79), Taban-Kuel, Woodward, Rume (A Otto 67) - J Otto, Guot, Letiko (Smedley 84)
Goals: Guot 45, 49, Letiko 68, Woodward 79
Christian United: Noble - Mrzyk, De Hoog, Whayman, T Wierenga - Lumago (Gwolo 35), New (Dixon 63), Pilgrim, Nicholson, Livingston - Page
Goals: Whayman 67
Att: 50
Ref: M Thain
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