Launceston City grabbed a well-deserved three points yesterday, snapping Kingborough Lions unbeaten run with a 2-0 win in front of a home crowd at Mitsubishi Park.

The hosts flew out of the traps and took the lead in the second minute, Omar Murati with a composed finish to give City a dream start.

Kingborough had won both of their opening games so would have headed North with confidence, but they struggled to get their football going in the final third and City took advantage, doubling their lead in the 25th minute.  Nathan Butler rose completely unmarked to meet a floated corner and bury a header low past the keeper.

City were working very well as a unit and their back four were solid as a rock, Greg Duffy and Butler in particular thwarting any Lions advances before half time.

The second half started scrappily and the first major incident came in the 59th minute when City were reduced to 10 men.  Nathan Bartlett lost his cool and raised his hands, pushing a Lions player, leaving the ref no choice but to send him packing.

The Lions couldn’t press home their man advantage however and it never really felt like they believed they could get back in the game.  As sometimes happens when a team goes to ten men, City really solidified and battled even harder to keep their lead.  Greg Duffy was magnificent in the second half, winning virtually every header or tackle he went in for and marshalling the defence superbly.

City thoroughly deserved their victory and under Coach Lino Sciulli they look like a well-organised unit that will battle all game, a combination which will make Mitsubishi Park a tough place to visit this season.

City’s next assignment is a Lakoseljac Cup Round of 16 meeting with reigning Northern Championship Champions Somerset on Easter Monday, while the Lions will look to regroup up against Metro at North Chigwell.

 Playstation 4 Victory League Round 3 RESULTS

South Hobart 1 (Brayden Mann 58′) Olympia FC Warriors 3 (Warren Wadawu 39′, Harry Woolley 90’+2, Nick Mearns 90’+5) HALF TIME 0-1 (DARCY STREET, SOUTH HOBART)

GLENORCHY KNIGHTS 3 (Vincent Kamano 32’, 72’, Jade Clay 47’) DEVONPORT STRIKERS 0 HALF TIME 1-0 (KGV FOOTBALL PARK, GLENORCHY)

NORTHERN RANGERS 2 (Tyler Harrison 19’, Ethan Engels 30’) drew with HOBART JEEP ZEBRAS 2 (Schalde Anderson 60’, Tyler Harrison OWN GOAL 90’+4) HALF TIME 2-0 (NTCA, LAUNCESTON)

LAUNCESTON CITY 2  (Omar Murati 2’, Nathan Butler 25’) KINGBOROUGH LIONS 0 HALF TIME 2-0 (MITSUBISHI PARK, PROSPECT)