The Hobart Zebras hit six goals in trying condition against the Northern Rangers to see them safely through to the 2019 Statewide Cup final.
A first half brace against the wind from Danielle Kannegiesser gave the Zebras the foundation they needed to fire home for the second half. Rangers showed glimpses of potential moving forward, but hesitation take an early shot from distance with the wind and conceding goals at key moments proved heir unravelling.
The early contest looked as though Rangers were able to put the pressure on the Zebras defensive line. The home side won some of those one on ones, disrupting the tempo of the Zebras usual play. However, it was on the counter the Zebras broke the deadlock early to assert their dominance on the match.
In the fifth minute, Kannegiesser found a pocket of space behind the fullback and made no mistake in front of goal, picking out the top corner.
As the winds picked up, it was swirling, but in the Rangers favour, in what became a game of hit and hope from both sides. Neither side were particularly able to find the combinations on the ground, rather both sides looked dangerous off the long ball, giving both sets of defences work to do.
On the half hour mark the Zebras finally found a way through a resilient Rangers defence. Zoe Nichols had kept the ball in on the line, and cut it back across the goal low. Lily Hulton looked primed to finish the opportunity but couldn’t get the purchase, so it fell to Kannegiesser to clean up the scraps and place it into the back of the net.
With the two goal cushion, it was the Zebras who saw out the half the stronger. A shot off the crossbar, then an offside call denied Hulton’s a goal, as the Rangers wound up with their backs against the wall.
Along with a serious turn for the worse weather wise in the second half, the game wound up being parked squarely in the Zebras attacking half. The away team occupying the space there home faster than a kid running to get lollies. It didn’t take long to break the Rangers down for the third of the game. Nichols with the comfortable finish, leaving the keeper no chance after pressure was building.
A gallant effort in goals by the Rangers keeper Tanita Nortje, kept the Zebras at bay for lengths of the second half. Along with a gutsy effort by Gonya Luate, who made sure to sweep up anything that got in behind the Rangers defence. But despite the efforts by the home side, it was always going to be the Zebras day.
Midway through the half the Zebras added two more. First Keilin Fagan finished from close range, after Nichols pulled a dummy from a Berry cross. Then provider turned goal scorer, when Berry danced through the defence and coolly slotted the ball home into the bottom corner.
Keilin Fagan then bagged her second goal for the match to round out the scoring and secure their progression through to the final.
It was a ruthless second half display by the Zebras, who proved too good for the Rangers to keep at bay, despite adopting a more defensive set up in the second half. A lack of clear scoring opportunities for the home side, meant they couldn’t keep their finger on the pulse in this one as the Zebras sailed home with a six goal win.