It was a clinical performance from South Hobart on Sunday, as they emphatically ended Kingborough's undefeated run with a 5-0 drubbing in wet and wild conditions at KGV.
A late change of venue due to heavy rain wasn't enough to unsettle the "hosts" as they broke through the Lions defence just before half-time and killed off the contest early in the second half. It was a virtuoso performance from South's Nick Morton, with the star midfielder opening the scoring for South and playing a hand in almost every attacking move for his side. The Lions would have fancied themselves as title contenders heading into the weekend, but a listless and lifeless performance would have surely left coach Jez Kenth scratching his head.
The game gently rolled into first gear from the kickoff and struggled to move into second, with both teams looking to attack but lacking clean execution. Both sides went close once inside the first half hour, with Morton blasting a first-time shot wide and Chris Downes landing an audacious long-range chip on the roof of the net. South certainly had the better of the play through that period, with both Morton and Sam Berezansky threatening often but unable to find the final delivery.
Part of that was due to some resolute defending by the Lions, but all of that effort was undone in two minutes of madness in the dying moments of the first half. It started with a Kingborough attack that broke down in the final third and allowed South to move quickly on the counter. Morton picked up the ball deep in defence and took it all the way down the field with a stunning turn of pace. A one-two with Berezansky on the left played him in behind the defence, and he finished with a tidy chip over Kingborough goalkeeper Lee Mackie.
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Nick Morton Roars at the Lions after his goal at KGV | IC: Solstice Digital[/caption]
Conceding one goal before the break always stings, but the pain didn't end there for the Lions as they gave up a second goal in a two-minute span. This time it was a case of creator-turned-finisher for Berezansky, as he drove into the penalty area on the left and shaped up to shoot from a tight angle. The effort was partially blocked but bounced back off his foot, over the head of Mackie and across the goal-line at the back post. It was equal parts luck and skill, but it gave South a healthy buffer heading into the interval.
The referee's whistle couldn't come quickly enough for the visitors-- after hanging in for 43 minutes they would have been already looking ahead to starting the second half on level terms. Instead, they were left searching for changes that might provide the spark needed to chase the game from behind. On the contrary, South could have been excused for sitting back in the second half and defending their lead against a team that had barely threatened their goal. That's not how South have ever played under Ken Morton, though, and they continued to press after the restart.
The chances still came in a trickle rather than a flood, but they were clinical in their finishing and managed to double their lead before the hour mark. If Berezansky's goal had required a dash of luck, South's third needed a bucketful of good fortune. Sam Tooze found himself running at the goal with the defence on his back, and as Mackie advanced off his line the South striker felt some contact and went down in the area. There was no whistle from the referee, but the ball bobble off Tooze's foot and rolled past Mackie towards the goal. Joel Sammut's attempted clearance made the slightest contact and only continued the ball on its way, as it crawled over the line to make it 3-0.
South's next chance didn't come until ten minutes later, but again they buried it to effectively end the contest. This one was much cleaner in its execution, as an inswinging corner from Berezansky dropped over the penalty spot. It was met there by the unchecked run of Kobe Kemp, and he glanced a header in at the back post to make it 4-0.
The game fell into a predictable pattern from there, as South controlled the play through consistent possession but didn't create a huge number of chances. For the Lions, their few forward forays were consistently foiled either by the South defence or their own waywardness. Adam McKeown, coming in with three goals in his last three games, made some good runs in the front third and found space, but his teammates struggled to deliver the ball to him.
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Sam Berezansky was key for South Hobart: IC: Solstice Digital[/caption]
With the sting well and truly out of the contest, the game looked certain to peter out as the last half hour flew by with little fanfare. There was one final flurry of action to come, though, starting with South's fifth goal of the afternoon in the 88th minute. Fittingly, it was Morton that capped off a best-on-ground performance with a brilliant assist. Some tidy footwork gave him room to cross from the left, and he curled a perfect delivery onto the boot of Bradley Lakoseljac at the back post for a simple finish.
The Lions had a chance to grab a consolation goal in stoppage time after Keenan Douce was fouled as he looked to shoot from just inside the box. The skipper decided to step up himself and take the spot kick, but his low drive was met by a brilliant dive from Nathan Reid and palmed away. Playing his first NPL game of the season, the South gloveman was rarely tested but dealt with every ball that came his way to claim a well-earned clean sheet.
The final whistle followed soon after, with the five goal margin a fair reflection of the gap in quality between the teams on the day. The Lions still sit one point ahead of South in third but will now be searching for answers ahead of a tough trip to Warrior Park next week, while South will travel north to face Riverside with plenty of confidence.
Nick Morton Roars at the Lions after his goal at KGV | IC: Solstice Digital[/caption]
Conceding one goal before the break always stings, but the pain didn't end there for the Lions as they gave up a second goal in a two-minute span. This time it was a case of creator-turned-finisher for Berezansky, as he drove into the penalty area on the left and shaped up to shoot from a tight angle. The effort was partially blocked but bounced back off his foot, over the head of Mackie and across the goal-line at the back post. It was equal parts luck and skill, but it gave South a healthy buffer heading into the interval.
The referee's whistle couldn't come quickly enough for the visitors-- after hanging in for 43 minutes they would have been already looking ahead to starting the second half on level terms. Instead, they were left searching for changes that might provide the spark needed to chase the game from behind. On the contrary, South could have been excused for sitting back in the second half and defending their lead against a team that had barely threatened their goal. That's not how South have ever played under Ken Morton, though, and they continued to press after the restart.
The chances still came in a trickle rather than a flood, but they were clinical in their finishing and managed to double their lead before the hour mark. If Berezansky's goal had required a dash of luck, South's third needed a bucketful of good fortune. Sam Tooze found himself running at the goal with the defence on his back, and as Mackie advanced off his line the South striker felt some contact and went down in the area. There was no whistle from the referee, but the ball bobble off Tooze's foot and rolled past Mackie towards the goal. Joel Sammut's attempted clearance made the slightest contact and only continued the ball on its way, as it crawled over the line to make it 3-0.
South's next chance didn't come until ten minutes later, but again they buried it to effectively end the contest. This one was much cleaner in its execution, as an inswinging corner from Berezansky dropped over the penalty spot. It was met there by the unchecked run of Kobe Kemp, and he glanced a header in at the back post to make it 4-0.
The game fell into a predictable pattern from there, as South controlled the play through consistent possession but didn't create a huge number of chances. For the Lions, their few forward forays were consistently foiled either by the South defence or their own waywardness. Adam McKeown, coming in with three goals in his last three games, made some good runs in the front third and found space, but his teammates struggled to deliver the ball to him.
[caption id="attachment_14872" align="alignnone" width="615"] Sam Berezansky was key for South Hobart: IC: Solstice Digital[/caption]
With the sting well and truly out of the contest, the game looked certain to peter out as the last half hour flew by with little fanfare. There was one final flurry of action to come, though, starting with South's fifth goal of the afternoon in the 88th minute. Fittingly, it was Morton that capped off a best-on-ground performance with a brilliant assist. Some tidy footwork gave him room to cross from the left, and he curled a perfect delivery onto the boot of Bradley Lakoseljac at the back post for a simple finish.
The Lions had a chance to grab a consolation goal in stoppage time after Keenan Douce was fouled as he looked to shoot from just inside the box. The skipper decided to step up himself and take the spot kick, but his low drive was met by a brilliant dive from Nathan Reid and palmed away. Playing his first NPL game of the season, the South gloveman was rarely tested but dealt with every ball that came his way to claim a well-earned clean sheet.
The final whistle followed soon after, with the five goal margin a fair reflection of the gap in quality between the teams on the day. The Lions still sit one point ahead of South in third but will now be searching for answers ahead of a tough trip to Warrior Park next week, while South will travel north to face Riverside with plenty of confidence.