South sub fires home stoppage-time winner

LADDER

A STUNNING stoppage-time strike from the halfway line by Oscar Thomas has helped South Hobart extend its lead at the top of the table with a heart-stopping 3-2 win over Olympia Warriors.

The South defender, on as a substitute, all but ended Olympia’s NPL Tasmania hopes with his incredible strike in the second minute of injury time.

At the same time, South capitalised on the Devonport Strikers’ 0-0 draw with bottom side Launceston City on Saturday and opened up a four-point buffer with six rounds to play.

With the scores deadlocked and the game seemingly heading for a draw, Thomas put his foot through a clearance that caught Olympia keeper Jakob Cole off his line and sparked euphoric scenes on the pitch and in the stands.

Thomas admitted after the game that his strike from halfway was not a shot.

“It was completely unintentional … I just tried to smash it, get it out of the area, but luckily it went in there,” he said.

South could have had the game wrapped up inside 20 minutes.

Jack Turner opened the scoring in the seventh minute, nodding home at the back post after an Adam Gorrie free kick from wide on the right found him unmarked.

Ben Hamlett looped his shot over both the onrushing Cole and the crossbar when one-on-one seven minutes later, while Darcy Hall also missed in the 16th minute.

It was 1-1 against the run of play in the 25th minute when a long free kick found Lucas Hill, whose header fell into the path of Jakub Sklenar and the marksman made no mistake.

The goal galvanised the Warriors, who held their own for the rest of the half, and after an even start to the second half it was the away side who took the lead.

Mark Ortmann fired Olympia ahead in the 58th minute with a cool finish into the bottom corner.

Olympia’s lead lasted just three minutes, with Hamlett volleying home to level the scores at 2-2 when he was picked out by a Gorrie cross.

It was all South after Hamlett’s equaliser, but it looked like it would be denied the three points until Thomas emerged as the unlikely hero.

Olympia coach Kenny Weston said his team showed plenty of desire and deserved at least a point from the game.

“I’m down for [the players] because when you put that much effort in and then that happens in the last minute, it’s just a sickener isn’t it,” Weston said.