South lose a player and coach as well as 2 points in draw with Lions

Photo:  South Hobart keeper Graeme Wright wins the ball after a challenge by Kingborough's Nick Cuthbertson.  Wright got up and pursued Cuthbertson and forcefully pushed him, which could have resulted in a penalty.  The referee waved play on, but later ran a long way back to get to Wright and  showed him a yellow card.  [PlessPix]

(NPL Tasmania. KGV Park, Wednesday, 28 August 2019)

South Hobart 1 (S Berezansky 77)

Kingborough Lions United 1 (J Turner 27)

HT:  0-1   Att:  100   Ref:  J McInerney

South Hobart:  Wright  -  Gorrie, Bowman, Foley, Herweynen  -  Kemp, N Morton, Feral  -  Larby, Hamlett, Lakoseljac  (Subs:  Berezansky, Hallam, Moncur, R Morton, Tooze)

Kingborough Lions United:  Perkinson  -  Douce, Cuthbertson, Smithies-Sharples, Zammit  -  Downesx, Cowen, Steele, Kantzos  -  Hall, Turner  (Subs:  Brennan, Easton, Hayers, Sammut, Vivarelli)

Photo:  Kingborough's Noah Smithies-Sharples and South Hobart's Ben Hamlett have eyes only for the ball [PlessPix]

South Hobart’s chances of finishing second took a hit when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kingborough Lions United at KGV Park on Wednesday night in an NPL Tasmania catch-up game.

It was a costly point for South Hobart as they lost captain Nick Morton on the stroke of half-time with a broken leg.  Morton chased a through-ball and Kingborough keeper Kenneth Perkinson came out to clear in determined fashion.  Neither player pulled out and they both connected with the ball at the same time.  Morton went down in obvious pain and, after treatment on the field, he was stretchered off.  Half an hour or so later, an ambulance took him to hospital.

And, South Hobart coach Ken Morton was shown a red card and banished from the bench midway through the second half after an altercation with the referee.

Photo:  Kingborough's Noah Smithies-Sharples clears ahead of South Hobart's Nick Morton [PlessPix]

Kingborough looked a much more determined side than they had last Saturday, when they surrendered meekly to Olympia Warriors and went down 3-0.

They took the game right up to their opponents and had the better of the opening exchanges.

Jack Turner, a former South Hobart player, gave Kingborough the lead in the 27^th minute when South Hobart failed to clear a Chris Downe’s free-kick from deep on the left.  The ball found Turner, who drove home from inside the box.

This set-back sparked South Hobart into action and they started to look dangerous with Ben Hamlett showing pace and aggression at centre-forward.  Wingers Ewan Larby and Bradley Lakoseljac were finding the going tough and even switching wings did not help much.

Photo:  Kingborough defend a South Hobart corner [PlessPix]

Late in the half, Nick Morton’s downward header looked a goal all the way, but Perkinson hurled himself to the left and cleared the ball on the line.  Perkinson also did well to deny Hamlett.

South Hobart fought their way back into the game in the second half, but they seemed to lack a focal point.  Hamlett appeared to be carrying an injury, which restricted his performance.

The introduction of substitute Sam Berezansky with 20 minutes remaining had an immediate impact.  His speed and penetrating runs were worrying the Kingborough defence and, with 13 minutes remaining, Berezansky struck the equaliser after working his way in from the left and finishing from close range.

South Hobart worked desperately to grab a winner, but the Kingborough defence held firm and the sides had to settle for a point each.

Photo:  Nick Morton's downward header was brilliantly saved by Kingborough keeper Kenneth Perkinson [PlessPix]