The Hobart Zebras have inched closer towards the Super League title by sealing a nervy win over Ulverstone. Second half goals by the dynamic duo of Zoe Nichols and Allie Berry proved to be the difference on a day where Ulverstone struggled to convert their chances.
The grey and gloomy weather seemed the perfect setting to the defensive masterclass on show in the first half. Much like last weekend against the Warriors, Ulverstone hit the pitch with a master plan. This time in implementing a high line that Harry High Pants would be proud of, while keeping speedsters Lucy Reimer and Meghan Gaffney at full back.
For the Zebras soaking up the pressure looked the aim of the game. With the play squarely in their defensive half, the team in black and white were able to avoid exposing their goal to any real threat. The usual slingshot attack of catching the opposition off guard stuttered with the offside flag turning into their second opponent on the field.
The first half dwindled by. A handful of early shots by Bissett provided the early entertainment, with the misses a seeming curse to continue throughout the match. The Zebras came close late, with Zoe Nichols turning off the shoulder of the last defender and forcing an excellent save from Anderson to round out the half, providing a sign of what was to come after the break.
With the half time whistle bringing an end to the first 45, one thing was clear, this was a defenders game.
As the weather was slightly clearing after the break, so did the fog surrounding the ideas moving into attack for the home side. Ten minutes in and the breakthrough was found. A longer ball found Berry one on one with Nellis. The Zebras attacker danced her way around the defender with only one intention, of slotting the ball into the net out of reach from the keeper, which she duly did.
Either side of the Zebras goal, Ulverstone had prime chances to get themselves on the scoreboard. Both came via Jazmin White. The first was early in the half, with White turning off the shoulder of Kayla Mason to go one on one with Shelley Cook, who pulled out a fingertip save to deny the Reds forward. The second chance was similarly a one on one, however the forward tried to walk the ball into the net. Finding a way around Cook, White was unable to catch the ball in time to turn the chance to a goal.
With the cushion of a goal under their belts, the Zebras were happy to again soak up possession, with a deep lying midfield employed. The search for a goal would’ve been more successful with AFL goals for Ulverstone, with a number of opportunities skied as they remained frustrated.
A second was to come for the Zebras to kill off the hopes of a last minute Ulverstone equaliser. It came from a similar situation as the first goal, with a lone Zebras forward taking on Ulverstone’s backline. This time it was Nichols who received a long ball, found a gap in the defence in front of her and fired it low and hard into the net, doubling their lead to secure the 2-0 victory.
For Ulverstone it was a matter of missed chances and a struggle to find composure in the right moments that denied the match being a goalscoring bonza. For the Zebras, it was a massive result that means they now appear set to head into the final game of the season against Olympia holding the advantage in the title race, most likely needing just a draw.