Tilford Zebras FC v, South Hobart FC, KGV, 01/06/12

Here I am in Tasmania and it's cold of course. This Tasmanian Southern Premier League fixture begins at 8.00 pm and I'll be blogging live from about 6.30 - hoping to cover something of the reserves game and get some background as well - as long as my fingers don't freeze.

Can you use an iPad while wearing gloves?

A bit of history.

From the TZFC web site

The Juventus Soccer Club was founded in 1956 in conjunction with the forming of the Australian Italian Club. Most of the Italian immigrants that arrived were in their early to mid-twenties. The name was taken from the famous Juventus club in Torino Italy.

The first season provided a new lease of life never seen in Tasmanian Soccer. Large crowds followed Juventus and the chants of “JUVE! JUVE!” could be heard up at South Hobart and later at KGV Grove Road. Rivalries with other ethnic based clubs, Olympia and Croatia,brought estimated crowds of up to 2000.

Here's the SHFC web site.
Surprisingly, Hobart's most 'historic' club - "Playing the World GameSince 1910" - has no 'history' page.

I'm no expert but I know a little. South Hobart has indeed been around since 1910. There is an earlier reference to a South Hobart soccer team in 1902 (but that is just a regionally organised team that played a game against the north of Hobart that might well have been a one-off) and JJ Honeysett organised a game against the SS Zealandia on the South Hobart reserve in 1908. This moment has a claim to being part of South Hobart's history given that Honeysett was so central to the club (and Tasmanian soccer's foundations in general).

South Hobart have played out of their Washington St Ground for most of their history and I'm looking forward to getting to a couple of games there over the next few weeks. Here's a piece I did on their anniversary game 2 years ago.

I hope to be able to talk to South's Andy Brennan tonight because I'm intrigued as to why he hasn't tried his luck in other competitions. What I like about him is his conversion rate. He seems to put more of his chances away than most other strikers I've seen across levels. He'd struggle initially in a competition like the Victorian Premier League (it's just so much more physical than the Southern Premier League) but perseverence would see him succeed at that level, at least.

I'll also be working in with the remarkable Walter Pless, and Callan Paske and Julius Ross from 'The Back Post' while I'm here. I'll give my impressions but if it's knowledge and substance you are after check out either or both of these blogs:

Walter's blog & The Back Post

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Arrived about 6.20 early in the reserves game. As usual I'm taken aback by the size and youth of the players in senior football in Hobart.

They are trying to play well, keeping the ball on the ground. Plenty of effort and fairly end to end stuff without much sense of penetration. Having said that the zebras no 10 missed an easy one-on-one as I arrived.

A tester to see how this thing works under the pretty good floodlighting. The blurriness of the assistant referee speaks less about her acceleration than it does about the qualities of the iPad camera or my ability to use it well.

6.44. Another good opportunity to Zebras headed wide.

6.50. Threatening free kick to Zebras 30 out well struck but easily gathered by keeper.

6.51. Ref blows for half time as South Hobart striker runs on to long ball. Oh well. 0-0

Found myself sitting near the Zebra seniors during the break. Lots of English accents it seemed. A strong scouse accent as well, which I discover later belongs to Chadderton.

7.05. Second half underway. Zebras into attack. I think they are playing the better game.

Goalmouth scramble. Zebra forward looked offside. Should have scored. Ball comes wide an before no. 12 can cross it's called out for a goal kick. Players with a chivalrous refusal to bag the assistant!

7.10. Zebra corner. Headed wide for goal kick.

7.13. Good goal by Zebras. Scorer put through by a lovely flick on from no. 10. 1-0.

7.15. South Hobart long ball nearly effective. Forward collected and hurt momentarily by keeper, after he got the ball.

Lots of 'clever' play by south Hobart. But the final good ball doesn't come.

7.25. Z through ball down left. Keeper can't hold cross. Hits defender's hand and penalty given. Bit stiff I thought. Taker has a fast bowler's run up and slams it home. 2-0 zebras.

7.29. Corner from right. Back post header across goal. Nodded in by no. 10. 3-0. Score s fair indication of play.

Clumsy tackle by South Hobart player about the worst tackle so far. Shows how cleanly the game is being played.

More good combination from South Hobart comes to nothing.

Poor call by assistant. Ball sitting on line called out.

7.39. Another good opportunity to Zebras blasted over from right.

South Hobart no 10 has their first shot since I arrived. Nice looking shot as well but too far out.

7.45 Zebras miss an easy one. Put out for corner.

Game has ended as a contest.

7.56. All over. Zebras 3-0. A bit of a hiding really. Once the Zebras scored there was only going to be one winner.

Sitting with Walter in the stand prior to the game. It's like sitting with a rock star. Everyone knows him and wants to say something to him. Mainly positive!

Even the dog's keen to get Walter's attention.

8.05. Kick off. South running to FFT headquarters end. South Hobart dominating position in the early minutes.

8.07. Zebras break down right.

8.10. Good move by Zebras ends with weak shot by no. 9. Some good play by him in the build up.

8.23. Brain fade by Zebras keeper controlling backpass matched by equally bad effort by Brennan who seemed to forget the point of the game momentarily.

8.15. Gun shy South Hobart. Refusal to shoot followed by ballooning shot from too far out.

Brennan switched to left wing. Marker Kurt Engels follows him.

8.22. Danny Chadderton starting to look to the goods in the middle for Zebras. Takes free kick and slips but it's good and is put behind for corner. Corner produces cracking drive from Muller, just tipped over by South Hobart keeper. Corner cleared.

8.25. Nice work by South Hobart on left.

8.26. Good Long shot from Eaves deflected for corner.

8.28. Long speculator by Walsh for Zebras. Never enough power.

Brennan has shifted back to right. Engels goes with him. To the left!!

Zebras are putting together some good attacks but there's a sense in which the team doesn't have the confidence to back it's strikers' forays.

8.37. Nice little passage from South Hobart spoilt by Duffy who balloons over from distance on right.

8.40. Corner to Zebras after quick break. Chadderton has crack from distance. Deflected for throw in. Cleared.

8.43. South Hobart press again. Keeper comes out well twice.

8.44. Play goes to other end. Weak shot by Walsh easily shot. Another corner to Zebras. Brave keeping punches clear. Follow up shot wide.

Brennan being well Marxed by Engels. Starting to appear frustrated.

Brennan comes over to left and Engels sticks with him.

8.50. Half time 0-0

The Back Post guys at the back of the stand.

9.02. 2nd half begins.

9.04. South pressing.

Teams still in the sheds mentally.

9.09. Brennan fluffs a run in from the left and puts behind for goal kick.

9.10. Brennan beats Engels for about the first time tonight, chasing through ball, cuts in, shoots, keeper fumbles, Hickey rounds keeper and finds a way to hit crossbar. Zebras clear.

9.14. Poor long shot from Chadderton. Wide left.

9.15. Good move by Zebras finishes with strong low drive by Chadderton. Well saved.

9.16. Break by Zebras. Good cut back cross from left. Walsh blazes wide. Should have done better.

Tempo of game lifting. Zebras breaking consistently.

9.18. South Hobart free kick from right 18 out. Good cross from left headed over by Williams.

9.21 Game opening up. There'll be a goal soon.

9.23. Corner to South Hobart blazed over by Williams.

9.24. Soft free kick to South Hobart on right 25 out. Complicated move came to nothing.

9.28. Zebras Brazendale on for Fagg .

Where's that goal then?

9.33. Engels tackles Brennan well. Puts behind for corner. Good corner by Hickey. Williams Fouls.

9.35. Morton through puts it across goal. Williams misses at back post.

9.37. Williams blazes over for South Hobart. All south at the moment. Must score soon.

9.37. Muller off. David on for Zebras.

9.38. South break down left. Good cross. Brennan only gets a glancing header on it. Behind for goal kick.

9.40. Wave after wave of South attacks culminating in feeble shots.

9.41. Eaves long shot. Wide.

9.42. Engels forces Brennan wide again. Out for goal kick.

9.44. Nice work by David on left for Zebras. Crosses in saved easily. Eaves shoots wide

9.46. Good shot by Hickey curling away. Keeper covers well.

9.46. Confusion in Zebras defence. South Hobart puts behind.


We're in injury time. Zebras attack fizzles out. South break. Not enough time


9.47 Full time 0-0.

I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Man of the Match was Kurt Engels who marked Brennan well just about all night.

Kurt Engels, Man of the Match

Even though Brennan could have had a couple, the marking job seemed to work away at his confidence. A couple of times he looked exasperated at Engels' attention. Shae Hickey showed that he is still the player he was when I first saw him play two years ago. Zebras deserved their point and could have had all three - though that would have been stiff on South.

Tomorrow, New Town v. Knights. Can't wait! Just have to work out where Clare St is!