Clarence United have the ability to topple South Hobart in grand final

Photo: South Hobart captain Hugh Ludford (left) and Clarence United captain Ben Parker with the new Forestry Tasmania trophy

Clarence United have not beaten South Hobart in the league this season but will hope to upset the league champions in tonight’s Top-Four series grand final at 7.30pm at KGV Park.

South have won their league encounters 6-0, 3-0 and 2-1, which clearly indicates they are the favourites going in to this final.

But, Clarence have done extremely well in the latter stages of the season, winning the Milan Lakoseljac Memorial Trophy state-wide competition and reaching this grand final, which will determine the state premiers.

Clarence will miss striker Andy Barron, who is unavailable, but they have many capable young replacements to add to their squad.

South Hobart will be without youngster Seth Otte, who will be replaced on the bench by Nick Di Falco.

“Daniel Brown and Jimmy Pennicott trained well and seem to be over their injuries so we should be more or less at full strength,” said South Hobart coach, Ken Morton.

“We’ll go into the grand final to enjoy it and to soak up teh atmosphere and see if we can make a win.

“Clarence have done well and they play with a lot of energy, so we’ll have to be prepared to work hard.”

The rival captains are both confident that their teams can do well.

“We’ll definitely go in confident, but showing a lot of respect for Clarence,” said South’s 22-year-old captain and central defender Hugh Ludford.

“They’ve been performing towards the end of this season, but we’ll give it our best shot.

“We know if we go out and play at our best we can beat anyone, which we’ve proven this season.

“We’re not over confident, though, because if they play to their ability we know it’ll be a fight.”

Ludford said the team missed striker Billy Gasparinatos, who moved to Melbourne this year, but in Kostas Kanakaris it had found an adequate replacement as he had scored 14 goals in the league.

Clarence captain, 32-year-old central defender, Ben Parker, said: “It’s a big game for the players and the club.

“We’re going to do our best to win by going out and scoring as many goals as we can and hope that it’s good enough.

“I’ve never been in a team environment like this one, with everyone so full of energy and so full of confidence and the will to win.

“The players are just really enjoying what they’re doing and the success as a result of that.”

The curtain-raiser is between the State under-14 and under-15 teams, who are sparring before going to the national championships in Coffs Harbour, NSW, at the end of the month.