By Andrew Cooling 

Hobart JEEP Zebras continued their perfect start to 2016 as they defeated the Devonport Strikers 3-1 in a brilliant display at Valley Road. The win moved them temporarily to the top of the table as they passed their first major test of the season up against a fellow title hopeful.

The Strikers once again didn’t seem to be switched on early, last week they took just two minutes to concede whilst today just 3 minutes had passed by the time Dwayne Walsh had continued his rich vein of form and opened the scoring.

Luke Huigsloot received the ball in the diamond and took it down with an immaculate first touch, holding off Zupo as he turned to play it forward to Walsh, who found it rolling into his path thanks to a deflection from Mulraney and made no mistake with the finish.

They nearly hit back at once when Moody was caught on the ball by Gorrie arriving from his blindside, as he robbed him of the ball, charged into the box and fired a shot that almost found its way to Brayden Mann but for the sprawling intervention of Walsh.

Brodie Denehey had the next big chance when he got onto the end of a long ball but fired wide of the goals when 1 on 1 with the returning Graham Wright.

They would rue the miss when James Sherman curled in a fine free kick which Adam Mckeown got on the end off and nodded home, having initially earned the free kick himself. Just how the small frame of Mckeown was allowed to win a header in the middle of the six yard box against a team with such a wealth of tall timber was a little mystifying, but it signaled that the Strikers were perhaps not as disciplined as they were against Olympia a fortnight ago.

Mckeown's profound goal scoring instincts were on display again in the shadows of half time when Giantsopoulos made a great diving save to his right only to have the ball spill to the feet of Mckeown, who was Johhny on the spot to turn the ball into the back of the net and make it 3-0 at the half.

It was all but game over at this stage but Devonport were not going to give up and came flying out of the blocks in the second half. Joel Stone was more than a little unlucky not to have drawn a penalty after he was brought down following a mazy run with a few step overs thrown in just moments into the half.

Brodie Denehey then came close after an inch perfect ball over the top from Gorrie provided him with a sharp chance in the box but he couldn't control his volley after chesting it down for himself, directing his shot wide of the post.

Zebras were comfortable with a three goal buffer and were not going to over extend themselves going forward, they created a few openings but nothing major as they seemed content to sit on their advantage. Fagg and Moody were once again looking rock solid at the back and with Tyler Harrison now available there is going to be some tough selections calls going forward for Chris Hey to contemplate.

The main highlight of the second half came in the 79th minute when Brayden Mann produced a stunning goal. Nicholas laid if off for the onrushing Mann, who leant back and cracked a left footed curler from 25 yards out that flew into the top corner. It was a sublime goal from the striker, a real moment of magic.

Unfortunately it was all too late for the Strikers as the Portress was breached by the Zebras, whose clinical first half was more than enough to clinch all three points to head back to Hobart with. It says a lot about this Zebras side that they can roll into Valley Road without two key movers in Jayden Hey and Kurt Engels and still come away with such a dominant result. They have firmly stamped themselves as a team to beat this season, making it 4 from 4 in style and keeping up the pressure on South Hobart.