(NPL Tasmania, KGV Park, Sunday, 30 June 2019)
Hobart
Zebras 3 (A
McKeown 26, R Dillon 78, M Pace 86)
Riverside
Olympic 2 (C
Wademan 47, 48)
HT: 1-0 Att: 90 Ref: N Coad
Hobart
Zebras: Whatman
- Clark, Yonezawa, Charuza,
Dillon -
Hey, Muller, Walsh - McKeown, Sanders, Pace (Subs:
Ackerley, Fagg, Robinson, Stankovich, Jones)
Riverside
Olympic: Hill;
Campbell, Coert, Davis, Gilmore, Humphrey, Monticchio, O’Neill, Olner,
Vigilante, Wademan (Subs: Kinslow, Prince, Spanos, Murfet)
Photo: Riverside's Aaron Campbell and Zebras' Jordan Muller battle for the ball [PlessPix]
Hobart
Zebras earned a much-needed win to keep them ahead of the pursuing Kingborough
Lions United and to within range of third-placed South Hobart.
Adam
McKeown gave Zebras the lead in the 26th minute with a neat finish
after being put through on goal with only the keeper to beat.
Riley
Dillon nearly added a second, but his
shot struck the post.
Both
sides found the windy conditions difficult to master and the number of
inaccurate passes was astounding.
Photo: Riverside's Michael Monticchio and Zebras' Jordan Muller collide and fall to the ground [PlessPix]
The
game changed completely in the opening 5 minutes of the second half.
Chris
Wademan made it 1-1 in the 46th minute with a lob that Zebras keeper
Sam Whatman got a hand to but couldn’t keep out.
In
the 48th minute, Wademan gave Riverside the lead with a powerful
drive into the left-hand corner of the net from the edge of the box.
Zebras
had been well held by Riverside’s resolute and intelligent defending, but they
drew level with 12 minutes remaining when Dillon curled a free-kick inside the
left-hand post.
Photo: Zebras' Jan Charuza clears the ball [PlessPix]
It
looked as if Riverside would hang on for a point, but Zebras managed to find a
winner with 4 minutes remaining. McKeown’s
shot from a tight angle on the left was deflected against a post and parried by
Jarrod Hill, but the ball fell perfectly to Matthew Pace, who netted easily to
give the home team a 3-2 lead.
Zebras
continued to search for more goals and McKeown and Pace both had the ball
in the net, only to be denied by the
off-side flag.
Mathew
Sanders, who was tightly marked throughout, flashed two shots centimetres wide
of the far right-hand post, and he had several other shots charged down and
blocked when they would have spelled danger had they got through.
Photo: Zebras' Adam McKeown (left) and Riverside's Michael Monticchio contest possession [PlessPix]
Photo: Zebras' Matthew Pace wins a header against Riverside's Liam Gilmore [PlessPix]
