Wednesday, December 19, 2018

South Hobart lose game and player against Hobart Zebras


 Photo:  Connor Schmidt lies motionless as team-mates surround him [PlessPix] [Click on photos to see full-size image.]

South Hobart defender Connor Schmidt suffered a broken leg tonight as his side went down 4-3 to Hobart Zebras in a pre-season friendly.

Schmidt was on the wrong end of a tackle by Zebras defender Luke Bighin, who received a yellow card for the challenge.

Schmidt was stretchered off and taken to hospital by ambulance.  X-rays revealed he had sustained a broken leg.

 Photo:  Schmidt is stretchered off the pitch by South Hobart and Zebras personnel [PlessPix]

South Hobart scored from the resultant free-kick.  Adam Gorrie floated the ball towards the far post and Alex Walter netted to give South Hobart a 2-0 lead in the 34th minute.

Skipper Nick Morton had given South Hobart the lead after 19 minutes.

A minute before the interval, Bighin volleyed home from inside the box to make it 2-1 and put Zebras back into the game.

 Photo:  Nick Morton puts South Hobart ahead [PlessPix]

Jordan Muller equalised for Zebras shortly after the resumption, while an excellent goal in the 53rd minute by Mathew Sanders, following a precise and speedy attack down the right involving Dwayne Walsh and Matthew Pace, put Zebras ahead 3-2.

 Photo:  Luke Bighin (partially obscured at left) scores for Zebras [PlessPix]

In the 57th minute, Pace’s run down the right and perfect cutback enabled Lachie Burt to make it 4-2 for Zebras.

South Hobart pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute from Gorrie’s penalty, awarded for Henry Fagg’s foul on Morton, but Zebras clung to their lead to win 4-3.

 Photo:  Zebras keeper Sam Whatman saves at the feet of South Hobart's Alex Walter [PlessPix]

“I think it was a good hit-out for both teams,” said South Hobart coach, Ken Morton.

“It was a good test for us.  We played 20 players tonight and most of them have got a good bit of game time.

“I’m happy where we are at this stage.  I thought in the first half we dominated the game quite convincingly and then, when we made a few changes, they were a bit stronger and sharper at the start of the second half.

“I think overall it was a good hit-out for us.  We had good possession at times but just missed a few chances which maybe would have made it a bit closer.”

 Photo:  Zebras' Mathew Sanders (No.17) and South Hobart's Nick Morton come to grips [PlessPix]

 Photo:  The situation became quite tense and South's Ben Hamlett and Zebras' Dwayne Walsh become involved [PlessPix]

Hobart Zebras coach, David Smith, said it had been a good workout for his team.

“The South Hobart boys were much better early on than us again, but we changed shape and went to a 4-4-2 and I think that helped a lot.

“We had a good chat at half-time about maybe putting a lot more pressure on them rather than sitting back.

 Photo:  Zebras' Luke Bighin (left) clears as South Hobart's Bradley Lakoseljac rushes in [PlessPix]

“I thought when we changed it, Matty Sanders and Matty Pace worked together quite well, and I was really pleased with a couple of youngsters who came on.  Young Jones and Chase [Clarke] did well for us.

“To be fair, [Henry] Fagg and Luke [Bighin] did also.

“I’m pretty happy with it.  Twenty-three players got a run and we’ve had two games in five days.”

Photo:  Former South Hobart player Antonio Saracino, who is now with Sydney FC's academy, watches tonight's game with a friend [PlessPix]

2 comments:

Brian Young said...

Was Gabriel Markaj at the match, Walter? I recall seeing one of his Tweets and a picture of the Zebras' coach sitting on an eski.

Walter said...

Not that I could see, Brian.