They took almost an hour to kick into gear, but Launceston City will take three points back up the Midlands Highway after a 2-0 win on the road over the Kingborough Lions.
A pair of assists from Noah Mies broke the game open at Lightwood Park after both sides looked unlikely to find a breakthrough for much of the game. Thomas Ottavi's opener finally sparked both sides into action for the last half an hour, before some magic from Mies set up Mackenzie Hancox late for City's second and to seal the win. While Kingborough held their own across the park for much of the day, they struggled to challenge City's defence and rarely threatened the goal.
While both sides played with good intent from the kickoff, neither was able to produce a chance of much substance. The Lions spent more time forward and got the ball to the dangerous combination of Horacio Gutierrez Jr. and Cameron Steele at every opportunity, but they saw countless shots blocked or chased down by City's defenders.
The lacklustre nature of the first half was summed up by both sides heading into the break with just one shot on target. A slow roller from Martin Mitreski forced a diving save from Kenneth Perkinson, while a stinging close-range blast from Gutierrez just before the whistle was parried away by Lachlan Clark.
Substitute Joel Sammut went close with a sliding shot just after the restart, but the opening 15 minutes of the second half ticked away relatively uneventfully otherwise. It felt like a goal was needed to kick-start the contest, and Ottavi obliged on the hour mark to give City the lead.
A long free kick from Mitreski found Mies at the back post, and his header under pressure bounced into the middle of the penalty area. It was met there by the run of Ottavi, and he slammed a shot home from close range to open the scoring.
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Solstice Photography[/caption]
Falling behind seemed to finally awaken the Lions, as they pressed hard right from the restart in search of a quick equaliser. Gutierrez continued to loom dangerously and fired just wide while Keenan Douce and Tom McDonald both forced saves, all within the space of ten minutes.
While their added intent going forward saw them finally create some chances, it also left them vulnerable at the other end. Charlie Dyer had a header on goal tipped away by Perkinson, and a long-range volley from Mies inside the last ten minutes was well hut but landed on the roof of the net.
Two minutes later the City striker created something out of nothing to double their lead and put the game to bed. After receiving the ball tucked against the corner flag, he jinked back and forth with a man on his back before finally turning past him and down the byline. His cross drifted to the back post and onto the head of Hancox at the back post, and he emphatically headed it past Perkinson and into the back of the net.
The Lions continued to press hard and pepper Launceston's defensive area with repeat crosses, but it was a matter of too little, too late as the few remaining minutes slipped away from them. They still couldn't find a finish when the final whistle sounded, leaving City to celebrate a confidence-boosting away win. City now move to within one point of the Lions in fifth place, setting up a mid-table battle in the season's home stretch.
Solstice Photography[/caption]
Falling behind seemed to finally awaken the Lions, as they pressed hard right from the restart in search of a quick equaliser. Gutierrez continued to loom dangerously and fired just wide while Keenan Douce and Tom McDonald both forced saves, all within the space of ten minutes.
While their added intent going forward saw them finally create some chances, it also left them vulnerable at the other end. Charlie Dyer had a header on goal tipped away by Perkinson, and a long-range volley from Mies inside the last ten minutes was well hut but landed on the roof of the net.
Two minutes later the City striker created something out of nothing to double their lead and put the game to bed. After receiving the ball tucked against the corner flag, he jinked back and forth with a man on his back before finally turning past him and down the byline. His cross drifted to the back post and onto the head of Hancox at the back post, and he emphatically headed it past Perkinson and into the back of the net.
The Lions continued to press hard and pepper Launceston's defensive area with repeat crosses, but it was a matter of too little, too late as the few remaining minutes slipped away from them. They still couldn't find a finish when the final whistle sounded, leaving City to celebrate a confidence-boosting away win. City now move to within one point of the Lions in fifth place, setting up a mid-table battle in the season's home stretch.