CITY PRIMED TO TURN TABLES

Launceston looks to atone for last week’s loss

LAUNCESTON City will be chasing instant redemption today when they take on South Hobart in the NPL Tasmania.

The two sides faced off a week ago, with South claiming a tight 2-1 win, and they will now meet once again and play their round two fixture that was postponed due to Covid.

With Launceston sitting just one place behind South on the table, captain Lachlan Clark says they have plenty to play for.

“We know if we drop points here or lose here we’re sort of cemented in fifth, so we’ve got to really put in a good shift this weekend and make sure we still fight for that top four,” Clark said.

If Launceston were to climb it would be the club’s second consecutive top-four finish, a drastic rise after ending the 2020 season in last place with just one win. “The culture at the club the last few years has changed a lot – we’re trying to get a bit more of that winning mentality, and slowly it’s starting to show,” Clark said.

They face a tough task today as they travel to Darcy Street, a venue where they have lost their past 12 league games dating back to 2013. After claiming an important win on the road last round, South defender Luke Bighin says they will be glad to return home for today’s clash.

“It’s definitely a place where we feel comfortable. We’ve got the crowd behind us as well as a familiar pitch, and it’s also quite a big pitch which I think suits our game,” Bighin said.

A loss would open up the race for fourth spot.

But a win would lift South all the way into second.

“The message has been pretty clear – if we win we go second, so the goal at the moment is to win the game in front of us,” Bighin said.

While that final position is important, Bighin says finishing the season strong is even bigger for South.

“At a club like South Hobart, every single game you’re looking to win … every single time a match rolls around we’re focused on one thing,” he said.