South Hobart leave it until the second half to show their wares

Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League (South Hobart, Saturday, 12 June 2010)

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South Hobart 5 (J Lo 60, K Kanakaris 66, 69, T Roach 80, G Downes 85)

Clarence United 1 (B Parker 2)

HT: 0-1 Att: 100 Ref: S Collins

South Hobart: Kruijver - Pennicott, D Brown, Ludford, Scott - Beecroft (Downes 83), Roach (King 81), Kwon, Hickey - Brennan (Kanakaris 57), Lo [Substitute not used: M Brown] [Coach: Ken Morton]

Clarence United: Sweeney - Lush, Parker, Toghill, McMahon - McIntyre (Reibl 81), Rees, Stevens (Mayne 77), Hoppitt - Hamlett (Hunt 71), Cripps [Substitute not used: Maxwell] [Coach: Andrew Brown]

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This really was a game of two halves and it took until the second half for South Hobart to hit their straps and take over the match to win comfortably.

Clarence more than held their own in the opening 45 minutes and deserved their 1-0 lead at the interval. The goal came in only the 2nd minute. Sam McIntyre knocked a free-kick from deep on the right towards the far post and Ben Parker rose unchallenged and powered home a header from inside the 6-yard box.

It should have been 2-0 in the 14th minute when David Hoppitt showed Jim Pennicott a clean pair of heels down the left and crossed low into the penalty area. Ben Hamlett met the ball on the edge of the 6-yard box, but instead of scoring, he lifted the ball over the bar.

Clarence were defending well and South Hobart were put off their game. The home side’s passing was erratic and the first touch was often missing. South’s only chances in the opening half were a tame effort by Bart Beecroft in the 19th minute and a half-volley from Shae Hickey on the stroke of half-time which just cleared the bar.

South were a side transformed in the second half and once they equalised on the hour, it was just a matter of time. They managed four more goals to run out 5-1 winners.

Hickey was brilliant on the left and it was a puzzle as to why Clarence allowed him all that space and time. The introduction of Kostas Kanakaris for the youthful Andy Brennan was also a master stroke by coach Ken Morton.

Kanakaris ran the Clarence defence ragged and scored twice, while Hickey made two goals.

The second half was a mere five minutes old when Clarence were given an indication of what was to come. Hickey’s corner from the right resulted in three chances within seconds. Pennicott’s shot was blocked on the line, as was Tom Roach’s follow-up strike. Daniel Brown got a third chance, but blazed wildly over the bar.

Hickey set up the equaliser on the hour when his left-wing cross was nodded down by Hugh Ludford for Jonathon Lo to fire home.

Clarence’s Mattias Toghill saw the danger that Hickey was posing and, in the 64th minute, he tried to cut Hickey in half with a tackle and incurred the wrath of Mr Collins, who brandished the yellow card.

South Hobart didn’t get the message and they took the lead in the 66th minute. A long throw-in by Brown from the left fell to Kanakaris, who hit the target to make it 2-1 for the home side.

Three minutes later, a left-wing cross by Hickey was prodded into Kankaris’s path by Lo and the striker made it 3-1.

Surprisingly, Hamlett was replaced by Chris Hunt shortly after and Clarence lost one of their most potent attacking weapons.

In the 71st minute, Roach flashed a shot narrowly wide as South increased the tempo and searched for more goals.

In the 80th minute, Roach had better luck. Kanakaris released Lo down the right and he set up Roach for the fourth goal. Roach’s reward was to be replaced by Andy King, while Clarence’s Sam Reibl came on for McIntyre.

Toghill moved into midfield for Clarence and was starting to pose a threat with his passes and eye for a chance, which was to become evident later.

Greg Downes replaced Bart Beecroft in the 83rd minute and scored with his first touch two minutes later. He sent a free-kick over the wall and keeper Cameron Sweeney could only turn it onto the post and then watch helplessly as it rolled over the line.

Two minutes from the end, Toghill showed his abilities when he smacked a great long-range shot against Kruijver’s left-hand post. Seconds later, he fed Reibl through the middle, but the substitute’s shot lacked power and Kruijver scooped the ball into his chest as he fell backwards.

The win kept South Hobart’s 13-point lead intact and they have all but retained their league title.

Clarence, who were without Matt Lewis and Luke Huigsloot, dropped out of the top-four as a result of the defeat.

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· South Hobart coach, Ken Morton, said:

“It was a wonderful performance from us today. Our passing and movement was good, especially in the second half.

“The young lad, Andy Brennan, you know, difficult for him with his lack of experience to play against a defence that sat deep, so when Kostas [Kankaris] went on we had a little more flair and imagination.

“I thought Shae Hickey down the left side and Liam Scott carved them open.”