A classy cameo off the bench for the returning Horacio Gutierrez Jnr ensured the Kingborough Lions walked away with the win over Clarence on Saturday night at Lightwood Park. Having struck the post 5 times in the game and with the score still sitting at 1-0 after 70 minutes, the door had been left ajar for Clarence to sneak something late. But Gutierrez Jnr stepped up and with two sweet strokes of his right boot he put the result beyond doubt and secured the 3-0 win.
The game began in almost hurricane like conditions, it was the windiest NPL TAS game I have seen in some time and it was clear the conditions would impact the ball significantly when it was lifted off the deck.
The game was notable for one other reason, it was the first Men's top flight game in Tasmania to be officiated by an all female refereeing crew. Visiting Hobart for the weekend, W-League panel referee Lauren Hargrave took charge and was flanked by AR's, Emma Hall and Claire Green.
[caption id="attachment_11016" align="alignnone" width="576"]
History was made at Lightwood Park- PlessPix[/caption]
Both teams took a few minutes to figure the conditions out and it was a pretty even, end to end beginning.
Phil Kantzos should have opened the scoring on 12 minutes when Keenan Douce powered in a superb cross from the right, but perhaps surprised by the pace on the ball, the Lions winger volleyed high.
He would make amends eight minutes later however when the ball was fed to him at the top of the box. Skipping free of his marker, Kantzos rolled his shot into the bottom corner to give the Lions the lead with a tidy finish.
Somehow they didn't double that lead moments later when Cowen rocketed a shot into the woodwork and then Douce was denied by the fingertips of Dyson from an equally powerful shot in the same passage of play.
Clarence were holding their own in defence and looking to hit the Lions with sharp counters in a game that had a good pace to it, but as the half wore on the Lions looked increasingly likely to add to their lead.
Danny Cowen thought he had when he rolled one past Dyson, but it bounced off the post and somehow stayed out before rolling along the line but not fully crossing.
The woodwork would also deny Joel Sammut just before halftime when he bent one for the far post that just wouldn't quite come back enough.
When Jake Brennan too was denied by the woodwork with his powerful header early in the second half, it was starting to look like it may just be one of those nights for the Lions, and Clarence had enough encouraging moments on the counter to keep them interested.
But substitute Horacio Gutierrez Jnr was not going to let this game slip. Cameron Steele, who had an impressive game in midfield, worked it to Brennan who fed the America. Taking a touch round the keeper and last defender, he fired home to give the Lions some deserved breathing room.
Both keepers came up big late on to keep the score at 2-0, as Dyson somehow denied Sammut with a huge diving save before Perkinson, who had been a spectator for much of the night, protected his clean sheet as he closed down a close range Kannegiesser attempt.
Gutierrez Jnr then bagged a second in stoppage time as he finished a move he started back in the middle of the park in style. Receiving the ball just outside the box, he skipped free of Demar then drove a perfectly placed shot into the bottom corner to wrap up the 3-0 win for his side.
https://youtu.be/xIat0xOa4Hs
History was made at Lightwood Park- PlessPix[/caption]
Both teams took a few minutes to figure the conditions out and it was a pretty even, end to end beginning.
Phil Kantzos should have opened the scoring on 12 minutes when Keenan Douce powered in a superb cross from the right, but perhaps surprised by the pace on the ball, the Lions winger volleyed high.
He would make amends eight minutes later however when the ball was fed to him at the top of the box. Skipping free of his marker, Kantzos rolled his shot into the bottom corner to give the Lions the lead with a tidy finish.
Somehow they didn't double that lead moments later when Cowen rocketed a shot into the woodwork and then Douce was denied by the fingertips of Dyson from an equally powerful shot in the same passage of play.
Clarence were holding their own in defence and looking to hit the Lions with sharp counters in a game that had a good pace to it, but as the half wore on the Lions looked increasingly likely to add to their lead.
Danny Cowen thought he had when he rolled one past Dyson, but it bounced off the post and somehow stayed out before rolling along the line but not fully crossing.
The woodwork would also deny Joel Sammut just before halftime when he bent one for the far post that just wouldn't quite come back enough.
When Jake Brennan too was denied by the woodwork with his powerful header early in the second half, it was starting to look like it may just be one of those nights for the Lions, and Clarence had enough encouraging moments on the counter to keep them interested.
But substitute Horacio Gutierrez Jnr was not going to let this game slip. Cameron Steele, who had an impressive game in midfield, worked it to Brennan who fed the America. Taking a touch round the keeper and last defender, he fired home to give the Lions some deserved breathing room.
Both keepers came up big late on to keep the score at 2-0, as Dyson somehow denied Sammut with a huge diving save before Perkinson, who had been a spectator for much of the night, protected his clean sheet as he closed down a close range Kannegiesser attempt.
Gutierrez Jnr then bagged a second in stoppage time as he finished a move he started back in the middle of the park in style. Receiving the ball just outside the box, he skipped free of Demar then drove a perfectly placed shot into the bottom corner to wrap up the 3-0 win for his side.
https://youtu.be/xIat0xOa4Hs