City's Derby Delight
Launceston City survived a stern first half test before running over the top of a Northern Rangers side that ended the game with just 9 players on the field. City claimed the second Derby of the season by a comprehensive 4-0 margin, following a dominant second half. After being fortunate to be 2-0 ahead at the break, there was no doubt about their second half efforts as they thumped their rivals to maintain top spot.
Northern Rangers dominated the early going and had all the early chances, with the Lanau-Atkinson brothers, Pat and Nick looming large and drawing some sharp saves out of Niko Giantsopoulos who was keeping his side in the game. Nick La was causing major headaches and only a top draw save denied his powerful shot from range.
But it was City who opened the scoring against the run of play, the goal coming from their first real chance when Tyler Fischer’s crossed for Jarrod Linger who could hardly miss from close range.
Shane Cartwright then doubled the lead with a superb solo goal, skipping through multiple defenders before finessing home a perfect finish into the far corner of the net.
It made it 2-0 at half time which was an incredibly harsh score against Rangers who had probably legitimate claims to have been the better side to that point in the game.
Yet if you don’t take your chances, you don’t win football games and City had been clinical.
The second half the complexion of the game changed. City struck early as Fischer raced onto a sumptuous Daniel Syson through ball before stroking home to make it 3-0. From there the contest looked settled, City were playing much better and Rangers looked sapped off the belief their early play had generated, stunned to find themselves so far down.
Rangers night would soon get sourer though, as first Tenzing Anderson conspired to head one in off the bar and past his own goalkeeper before they would eventually find themselves down to just 9 players.
Following an altercation between Giantsopoulos and Ngor, Syson and Jones started a pushing match which resulted in Jones being sent from the pitch. Daniel Cristy then followed suit in stoppage time, his frustrations getting the better of him as he was booked for kicking the ball into Dorazio and shown a second yellow.
Stoppage time played out with Rangers down to just 9, but there would be no further scoring as City saw the game out as resounding 4-0 victors.
The result leaves City still undefeated on top of the table, now 6 points clear of both South Hobart and Devonport after 10 rounds of the season.
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