BIG STEP UP: THE SOCCER COACH WHO WATCHED HIS TEAM ON A LADDER

AN injury-time strike from substitute Ryan Cook sealed a come-from-behind 2-1 win for South Hobart against the 10man Hobart Zebras yesterday and kept South’s title hopes alive in the process.

South came into the game nine points adrift of the league-leading Devonport Strikers and in dire need of a win to stay in the title race, but trailed 1-0 at KGV with less than 15 minutes remaining.

The Zebras had weathered a South storm in the first half before taking the lead against the run of play early in the second.

The needless dismissal of Zebras defender Riley Dillon midway through the second half proved the turning point, with Kobe Kemp equalising seven minutes later before Cook won the game in the second minute of stoppage time.

Morton said Cook’s goal kept South in the hunt for the NPL Tasmania title.

“There’s a lot of football, six games, to go, so we’re in there and that’s the main thing,” Morton said. “At 1-0 down, we’re out of it, and [with] a 2-1 win, we’re back in it.”

South did most of the attacking in the first half, but was continually denied by a mix of fine goalkeeping and poor finishing. Alex Walter spurned two chances from close range, picked out both times by low Nick Morton crosses from the left but unable to find the net on either occasion.

Having absorbed all the first-half pressure, the Zebras took the lead against the run of play in the 48th minute when Mathew Sanders converted a penalty after Jakub Sklenar was dragged down by Connor Schmidt in the box.

The Zebras had chances to double their lead, but the turning point of the match came in the 69th minute when Dillon picked up a second yellow card for throwing the ball away.

Sanders said the dismissal “basically turned the game”.

A pinpoint Kemp free kick into the bottom corner in the 76th minute drew South level.

Cook scored the winner, expertly finishing from the edge of the box after Morton laid the ball into his path.