It was exciting on Sunday to watch a professional football team from interstate, Wollongong Wolves, visiting Tasmania and taking on our NPL champions, South Hobart.
It was a competitive match in the new Australian National Championship.
It was a good change from friendlies against interstate opponents because there was something riding on the result. Points were at stake.
An interesting footnote was the fact that former South Hobart coach, Ken Morton, coached Wollongong in the National Soccer League in 1981 after he left Rapid.
Wollongong looked professional when they arrived at South Hobart Oval for the game. Their players all wore identical grey suits, white shirts and red ties.
They looked as if they meant business.
I wonder what they thought when they were shown their antiquated dressing room?
South Hobart did well to contain the visitors for the first half an hour.
That’s when Wollongong opened the scoring.
A fast an aggressive run down the left, followed by a low cross to the far post and there was Alex Masciovecchio in the middle to fire home past a static South Hobart defence.
To South Hobart’s credit, they didn’t drop their bundle but fought back and equalised just before half-time through a good left-footed strike through a crowded goalmouth by Austin Yost.
Level at 1-1 at the break, South Hobart had cause for optimism.
Wollongong upped the tempo after the resumption. They had survived a couple of close calls, but they took the lead just past the hour mark through a magnificent piece of opportunism by their Japanese J-League player Kazuya Yamamura. He gained possession just inside his own half and advanced a few metres with the ball. Looking up, he noticed South Hobart goalkeeper Nick O’Connell off his line and deliberately hit a long high ball at goal.
O’Connell back-pedalled frantically but was unable to stop the ball from dipping just under the crossbar and giving Wollongong a 2-1 lead.
I wasn’t a fluke but a clever piece of opportunism involving great skill.
The third goal came in the third minute of stoppage time when
Wollongong carved open the South Hobart defence and Thomas James picked his spot and placed the ball just inside the right-hand post to seal the match.
Wollongong’s passing was more accurate than South’s and they were physically more ruthless than the home side.
South Hobart have a lot to do in preparation for the return leg.
Before that, however, they visit Sydney next weekend to take on Marconi Stallions.
The attendance was excellent. It’s been a while since I’ve seen South Hobart Oval just about packed out.
It just goes to show there is a thirst for competitive games involving interstate opposition.
9 comments:
A great report of a thoroughly enjoyable day even with the rain. Our kids absolutely loved coming to watch and this was my first game of this nature and it was fantastic. The local side may not have won but they gave it a red hot go, regagrdless of what the commentators said on your previous blog post. We will be watching the mainland games on SBS and will again attend for the local games. This level of soccer competition is desperately needed in the state. Well done to the players, the club and all involved.
Contrary to a lot of comments on the previous post, I thought South Hobart did very well. 1 - 1 at half time, a brilliant opportunists goal and a third against them very late in the game when they were pushing forward looking for an equaliser and got caught out. They certainly made chances as well. It’s a pity we don’t have a better ground for South to play at, perhaps a little more thought into food and beveridge services for the next game. Took a long time to get a coffee or snack. Great attendance though, I had rugged up had a brolly and didn’t mind standing in the rain. I’m not a South supporter but I didn’t mind the $20 entry to see a pretty good game of football. Bloody good first effort, I’m sure they will get better as a team, they certainly had some individual players that held their own and more.
Great comment, Jack. Unfortunately, Walter's blog attracts a raft of old men who don't have an original thought between them and get their only excitement in life by making the same old boring, negative comments about everything to do with Tasmanian football. It was an entertaining and tense game right until the third wolves goal went in at the end.
It is a really pity South Hobart can’t listen to negative feedback some very childish post .
By some of the clubs official’s didn’t hear any complaints when Ken won coach of the year .
With a side that finished third and won nothing. Surrounding yourself with yes people is not healthy for a club .
The minute something doesn’t go the club’s way massive out cry you can’t have it both way’s .
Who cares ?
Anon at 734pm. Can you please try rewriting your comment? It is unintelligible.
Anon 315pm. Clearly you as you wouldn't bother commenting otherwise.
KGV much better
The championship is a great competition, well done Football Australia for putting it together. Gives fighting for points in the middle of a Tassie winter a bit more meaning. The young players at South need more game time, the level of the competition is at their speed. Good luck in sorting the backline out to play in a cohesive manner, they need a night on the lash for some team building.
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