Launceston City have made it three wins from three games and gone four games unbeaten after claiming 5-3 win at Buckby Land Rover Park against Clarence United on Saturday evening.

The hosts didn’t have it all their own way though and had to come from behind twice in the first half as  Clarence’s Matthew Lewis and Paul Palmer produced moments of brilliance to give their side a shock lead after their goals.

City playing with the wind in the first half had majority of the play and from the outset looked to attack Clarence through in form target man Noah Mies. The big man looked dangerous early on as he put on the after burners to get round his man and cross looking for Compagne but Voss was alert to the danger and saved any threat. Minutes later that man Mies almost opened the scoring when Williams found Compagne on the right who crossed to Mies but his effort whizzed just past the post.

The first goal of the game came not long after, as Matthew Lewis produced a top notch finish against the run of play. He received a bouncing ball at the top of the 18 yard box, controlled it and struck his volley towards goal, leaving Clark with no chance and sending Clarence ahead after 12 minutes.

A shocked City side looked to hit back immediately and almost did so through Aaron Campbell flashing one just wide and then through Mies crossing to the front post where Bartlett got on the end of it but couldn’t beat the post and out for a corner.

Bartlett only had to wait for the resulting corner to get another opportunity. Compagne sent his corner, deep to the back post where Bartlett was unmanned and he looped his header back in the far post direction and over Voss to draw City level.

As City seemed like they were starting to hit their straps Clarence threw another spanner into the works. Paul Palmer reacted first to one of Clark’s throws out from the back that was heading to Compagne on the right wing. Palmer nipped it ahead of Compagne, composed himself and struck it from 30 yards out that went back over the head of Lachlan Clark in the City goal to send Clarence ahead nearing half time.

Right on the stroke of half time though City squared it up at 2-2. Mies slid Compagne through in on goal and with all the time in the world slid the ball past Voss and into the back of the net to square it up.

As the half resumed City continued to press forward and hit the lead on 51st minute as Bartlett crossed the ball into the 6 yard box for Campbell who made no mistake in latching on the end of it and between the legs of Voss to give City a 3-2 lead.

City lived dangerously throughout the game, continuously giving away fouls in their defensive half allowing the bigger bodies of Clarence to get into the box for set pieces and pose a threat.

They almost levelled on the 53rd minute when Palmer sent his free kick in that took a bounce through everyone and onto the front post.

In the 67th minute Clarence though they drew level as Price sent a free kick into the mixer from deep. Clark attempted to claim the ball but didn’t leaving a loose ball for Bremner to pounce on and fire home but Kopra had seen a foul in there somewhere by a Clarence man and the goal was disallowed.

Two minutes later City almost extended their lead but the post had other ideas as Bartlett surged forward on the left, Malcolm came across and checked Bartlett’s run and the City man felt he was entitled to a free kick. Kopra waved play on and Mies was quick to react to the confusion and picked the ball up and continued to run in on goal, the young man was on an angle and looked to sneak it inside the front post and past Voss but smacked his effort against the post and out for a goal kick.

Clarence drew the scores level once more in the 75th minute as a free kick from well out was taken by Price and sent into the box. The free kick was struck very well and cleared out the cobwebs from the top corner as City were made to pay for the fouls given away in their half.

A few minutes later the game went into ‘Linger’ mode, the zippy full back came to the fore and delivered some delightful crosses into the box. First a delivery to the back post right onto the noggin of the equally impressive Bartlett to make it 4-3.

As the rain set in at Buckby Land Rover Park and neared full time Linger sent in the final blow to Clarence. The left full back crossed in from deep to the back post where Bartlett was once again lurking. Bartlett once again got on the end of it and headed is effort towards goal but this time smacking it against the post which rebounded back into the path of Mies and he made no mistake in slamming it home for a 5 – 3 win for Launceston City.