South Hobart, Devonport triumph in NPL, WSL grand finals
South Hobart denied Devonport a clean sweep of trophies this season with victory in Saturday’s NPL grand final, while the Strikers women got the job done. Read the details here.
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South Hobart coach Ken Morton is hopeful they can use Saturday’s 2-0 grand final win over Devonport to press the NPL’s long-time pacesetters next season.
Goals to Eduardo Castaneda and Bradley Lakoseljac were enough for South Hobart’s senior men to grab their first piece of silverware for the year at Valley Road, having fallen to the Strikers in the Summer and Lakoseljac Cup deciders.
Castaneda opened the scoring in the 12 minute when his vicious swinging corner kick found the inside of the near post.
The visitors found the buffer they needed when Lakoseljac finished off some combination plays down the left side.
The Strikers moved tall aerial threat Fahim Moradi up forward, and fellow big target Miles Barnard off the bench as they played more direct to try and chase the deficit.
But South Hobart held on for the win, denying the Strikers the full set of titles after they easily won the most coveted league crown.
“We would have liked to hold the ball for longer periods, but having said that we were quite good in transition and handled everything they threw at us,” South Hobart coach Ken Morton said.
“Even in the second half when they threw Moradi up as a striker and brought Miles Barnard on, two heavyweights up front, I thought we played really well and deserved to win.
“Devonport have good support but I was surprised at our support, it was unbelievable. We had good numbers there to get behind the boys.”
Morton said their 3-1 win at Valley Road in the league in early July gave them belief they could upstage the hosts.
“That win we got in Devonport was a boost for us, it gave us confidence going into this game and our lads handled the occasion well,” Morton said.
“I think it (reintroducing a grand final this year) has been a success, because the semis were good matches as well.
“It’s also more games, the biggest problem we have in Tasmanian football is we don’t play enough.
“If we can get four rounds and a finals series, I think we’re getting closer to over 30 games a season and that’s what we need.
“I think we’ve tested them (Devonport) this year but the two losses in the league put a big gap between us.”
In the women’s decider, Devonport City sent the home crowd away happy with a 2-0 win over Clarence.
Georgia King’s superbly taken free kick from just outside the box handed the Strikers the lead in the 25th minute, before her sister Lucy Foote’s strike in stoppage time sealed the win.
South Hobart also won the NPL under-21 grand final 2-1 over Launceston City, with goals to Samuel Lacaster and Harrison Oates enough to prevail.
GRAND FINALS
NPL: South Hobart 2 (Eduardo Castaneda 12’, Bradley Lakoseljac 50’) def Devonport City 0
WSL: Devonport 2 (Georgia King 25’, Lucy Foote 90+1’) def Clarence 0
NPL under-21: South Hobart 2 (Samuel Lancaster 41’, Harrison Oates 59’) def Launceston City 1 (Tito Brown 82’)
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