The Kingborough Lions have continued their impressive start to the 2020 NPL season, cruising to a 2-0 win against Launceston City to remain undefeated after four rounds.
The margin could have easily been greater, as the Lions were barely troubled at Lightwood Park. They took the lead through Adam McKeown just before the half-hour mark, and a James Hall strike in the opening moments of the second half gave them plenty of breathing room. An 18-2 final shot count told the story of the game, as Kingborough's defence were fantastic throughout and fuelled countless attacking plays from the back. On the other side of the ball was a listless performance from City, who now have four losses from as many games.
There were signs early that it might be a long afternoon for the visitors, with goalkeeper Daniel Nash called into action inside the first minute. That was one of a handful of early Kingborough forays, and yet it was City that created the best chance in the early moments. A quick counter from a Lions corner ended with the ball at Jarrod Linger's feet, and his shot was firmly hit but wide of the mark.
That seemed to settle City across the park, but it wasn't long until they suddenly found themselves behind on the scoreboard. Much of Kingborough's early attacking came from the wings, and a cross from the right drifted deep into the penalty area. Kenneth Trac's header from the back post found Adam McKeown in front of goal, and while his first headed effort hit goalkeeper and crossbar before staying out, he was able to bury the rebound from point-blank range.
Just as quickly as City had found some comfort, they found themselves out of sorts again after conceding. Noah Mies had looked dangerous early with some good service to his feet, but that quickly disappeared as the pressure from the Lions increased. Kingborough lost Shane Cartwright to injury just before the break, but they were still able to create a plethora of chances through relentless pressure on the ball. Launceston could barely move the ball past the halfway line as the Kingborough backline, led superbly by Danny Cowen, refused to give them an inch of space.
If Launceston were hoping for the half-time break to slow the momentum, they were to be sorely disappointed. Less than two minutes after the restart the Lions were on the front foot again, as an aerial ball played Chris Downes through on the right wing. His cutback found Keenan Douce with time and space to cross, and a bouncing ball to the penalty spot allowed Hall to drill a low shot on target. Nash was able to get a hand to it, but he could only parry it into the back of the net.
There was no complacency with a two-goal buffer, as the home side continued to press and search for more goals. Douce was a livewire on the right, driving countless attacks down the wing and crossing dangerously. He would have had a goal of his own if not for a stunning save from Nash, with the City gloveman soaring to keep out a blast destined for the top corner otherwise. That was one of a handful of good saves in a solid performance, but he lacked support from his teammates and was forced to face a barrage of shots throughout.
It was much the same right up until the final whistle, with Kingborough creating plenty of chances and Launceston barely giving a whimper at either end of the field. There was no further score, though, as the Lions ensured they kept close to the league leading Devonport Strikers and sent a statement to the rest of the competition. They'll now look ahead to a big clash against South Hobart next week, while Launceston City will hope to find some answers before their trip to Warrior Park to face Olympia.