Title so close, South Hobart can almost taste it

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SOUTH Hobart has one hand on the NPL Tasmania title after cruising to a 4-1 win over plucky bottom side Clarence United at Darcy Street.

Clarence was outclassed for most of the match yesterday but threatened to steal a point when star defender Odaine Demar made it 2-1 midway through the second half.

South quickly settled, though, and netted two late goals to record a comfortable victory.

South now holds a seven-point advantage over the second-placed De- vonport Strikers with just five games to play, and, with 14 wins from 16 league matches to date, the title appears to be South’s for the taking.

In yesterday’s match, Nick Morton should have put South ahead in the 35th minute when he seized on an errant pass from Clarence keeper Jason Voss, but he took too long and the Clarence defence scrambled clear.

Ben Hamlett wasted another chance four minutes later, shooting straight at Voss from the penalty spot and then blazing over the rebound with the goal gaping after Daniel Brown was brought down in the box. Morton finally put South ahead in the 44th minute, collecting an Alex Walter cross from the right and taking two touches in a sea of players before hooking a classy volley into the top corner.

South continued to control possession throughout the second half, and it was 2-0 in the 56th minute when Hamlett made up for the earlier penalty miss, netting from the spot after he was hacked down by Jake Stuart.

Demar handed Clarence a lifeline in the 72nd minute with a goal against the run of play, rocketing a low free kick from the edge of the box into the bottom left corner.

Clarence pushed for an equaliser in the dying minutes, but Darcy Hall secured the win for South in the 90th minute after collecting a defence-splitting pass from Walter and rounding Voss.

It was 4-1 in the fourth minute of stoppage time, with Kobe Kemp rifling a low free kick from out wide that sneaked its way past Voss.

South coach Ken Morton was happy with the way his team controlled the game, but believes there is still work to be done to secure the title.

“We have to win each game as they come along, and if we can do that then we’ll go very close,” Morton said.