South Hobart appear to have an unassailable 13-point lead at the top of the Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League with nine rounds remaining.
They are well on the way to their third successive league title under coach Ken Morton.
South Hobart had to fight hard to beat second-last Taroona 3-1 away at Kelvedon Park on Saturday, but the previous evening, their closest rivals, second-placed Tilford Zebras and third-ranked Glenorchy Knights, could only draw 1-1.
The Friday night result may have caused a little complacency in the South Hobart ranks as they were far from impressive against Taroona.
Indeed, Taroona scored first when poor defending by the visitors enabled Hugo Luttmer to net in the 19th minute. South goalkeeper Sam Kruijver could only parry Toby Dove’s shot and Luttmer swept home the rebound.
It was not until the 31st minute that South drew level. A long kick by Kruijver and a pass by Greg Downes put Jonathon Lo through and he left defender Jack Elliott sprawled on the ground as he slipped the ball past goalkeeper Robert Hortle.
Two minutes before the interval, Downes gave South the lead with a perfectly-placed free-kick that gave Hortle no chance as the ball whistled past him and into the top left-hand corner of the net.
Downes had also hit the bar in the first half, but Taroona were proving plucky opponents and refused to lie down.
Midway through the second half, Downes hit the bar again with an excellent free-kick, while Sam Johnson blocked the follow-up shot from Jim Pennicott.
Pennicott lobbed just wide a minute later, while in the 72nd minute, he headed narrowly past the post.
Liam Scott fired wide for the visitors in the 76th minute, while in the 80th, the ever-dangerous defender Pennicott had a shot blocked on the line.
Substitute Andy King made the game safe in the final minute with a wonderful strike from 25 metres that gave Hortle no chance and made it 3-1.
Ricky Self headed Tilford Zebras ahead in the 16th minute against the Knights and it wasn’t until 9 minutes from the end that substitute James Hope levelled, tapping home a cross from Corey Smith.
Jade Clay almost snatched a winner for the Knights in stoppage time, but he just failed to connect with Smith’s far-post cross.
In the Saturday night match, Clarence United downed New Town Eagles 5-2. Ben Hamlett netted a hat-trick for Clarence, whose first two goals came from deflected free-kicks by Luke Cripps.
Jacob Clamp and Alex Leszczynski were Eagles’ marksmen. Eagles had two penalty appeals turned down in the first half in what was their worst defeat of the season.
Northern Rangers opened up a 4-point lead in the Forestry Tasmania Northern Premier League when they downed Prospect Knights 1-0 on Saturday evening. Second-placed Devonport City had the bye.
Burnie United beat bottom-side Launceston United 3-1 away, while Ulverstone succumbed 3-2 at home against Somerset in a North-West Coast derby.
Second-last Launceston City were thumped 5-1 at home at Mitsubishi Park by Riverside Olympic.
8 comments:
Hamlett quality goals down at Wentworth on Sat night.
Eagles top 4 ?
clarence were the better side however they were extremely lucky....cripp's 2 goals were both deflected in... his second should be marked down as an own goal as it was going well wide of the goals b4 taking a huge deflection... eagles should have had 2 penalties.... second photo fromt he bottom clearly shows the one mckeown should have had with him being upended after beating the keeper aswell as the blatant handball....just wasnt eagles night i suppose...they can still make the top four however...
eagles are absolute trash and our boys absolutely pumped them over at intimidation park. sorry new town but you need to be watching olympia and taroona and the relegation fight before you look at top 4
absolute trash??...haha.... with abit of luck and a decent referee eagles would have won quite comfortably....but thats soccer i guess
A comfortable win would be 2+ goals wouldn't it Anon 1.28..? So a bit of luck and a decent referee was worth 5 goals was it?
Intimidation Park ? lol you had 5 scored past you last week down that awful ground.
luck for the first two goals.... if eagles got the penalties they should have had clarence wouldnt have got their third....so if eagles converted them the score would have been 4-4....this isnt the first time this year eagles have been screwed out of points by below par refereeing...
Eagles played about 100 long balls on Sat night down at Wentworth.
TOP NO CHANCE IN HELL
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