Darcy Hall made a stunning return to the NPL, scoring twice and setting up another as South Hobart made it two wins from two from their consecutive trips North, in a 5-1 victory over Launceston City on Saturday evening. The big win leaves South one point adrift of the Devonport Strikers who currently sit on top of the league with 8 rounds remaining and the sides set to meet next week.

It didn’t take South Hobart long as they hit the lead inside of a minute. The kick off was rolled back to Nick Morton who immediately looked to get in behind the City defence with a long ball that was on a platter for Alex Walter who crossed into the box. The cross was cleared by Butler but only as far as Kemp who linked up with Hamlett to somehow bundle the ball back into the 6 yard box where Jack Turner was waiting to dink the ball home to give South a very early 1-0 lead.

After the initial set back City looked to get back into the game and matched it with South for patches but lacked the cutting edge to trouble Ken Morton’s men. While at the other end South Hobart was continually looking dangerous through the likes of Walter, Morton and Hamlett all being released early when City turned the ball over.

City’s best chance of the half came at the 20th minute mark when Clark released Campbell on the right with a long throw and with his first touch Campbell knocked the ball over and in behind the South defence looking for Noah Mies. Mies had Dan Brown to contend with and got the better off the South veteran, leaving the City forward with only the younger Brown in the South Hobart goal to beat, Mies was on a slight angle and shot straight into the chest of Brown and out for a corner.

Hamlett could have and should have made it 2-0 for South on the 25th minute mark when Feral played Hamlett through in acres of space. ‘Hammertime’ dribbled towards goal and had only Clark to beat from 18 yards out but Clark came up big for City and made the save to keep it at 1-0.

Five minutes later though Hamlett got his goal. Morton played a defence splitting ball in behind for Walter to run onto from the left. Walter wasted no time in getting his cross in that was straight to Hamlett who managed to get something on it and send it into the top of the net to give South a two goal lead with 30 minutes played.

As the game approached half time tempers flared when South’s Quaile and City’s Campbell duelled for a ball that ended up being a free kick for City right in front of the South Hobart bench which brought out some frustration from Quaile and the crew, though Brenton Kopra wasn’t having a bar of the protests. The resulting free kick taken by Rossetto near the half way line on the right was sent right into the mixer, Brown and Brown combined to attempt to clear it but neither got much on their clearances leaving Joe Dorazio with a chance but he sent his volley over the bar leaving the score 2-0 at the half.

It didn’t take South Hobart long to introduce their new signing for 2017 in former player Darcy Hall to wreak havoc on the match. Dan Brown lofted a ball over the top to Hall on the right wing who crossed it into the 6 yard box that Walter ran onto and scooped over the head of Clark and make it 3-0 to South Hobart after 52 minutes.

On 63 minutes it looked like South would add to their lead as Linger was dispossessed by Walter in the middle City’s defensive half. Walter streamed forward towards goal leaving only Clark standing in his way, but Clark once again came up big for City and made a huge stop.

A minute later City pounced on a rare wayward pass in the middle from South with Williams nabbing it and playing in Campbell on the right. Campbell cut inside and elected to shoot on his left looking for the back post, Brown was well and truly beaten but the post wasn’t. Luckily for City Noah Mies was there for the rebound off the post and he made no mistake of prodding it home to get one back for City.

After City’s goal they started to play with the belief that they could match it with South and really started taking it up to them in search of another goal to get back into the match.

But with a side with the likes of Hall, Walter, Morton you’re always at risk of conceding as South are electric down the flanks and on the break. And it was that man Darcy Hall who brought about the fourth goal with a blast from range, albeit assisted from a very generous deflection off the leg of Nathan Butler that sent it past Clark into the far corner. It made it 4-1 to South Hobart after 70 minutes and killed off any hope of a City fightback.

Darcy Hall almost had his second on the 84th minute mark when Morton slid him through and in behind City’s defence, Hall dribbled past Goold and towards goal, shooting on a tight angle that had Clark beaten but not the post.

The star signing did get his second goal two minutes from full time though as an errant pass across field from City’s Nick Thorne was picked up by Kemp, who played it to Hall who shot from 18 yards out. Clark saved onto the crossbar which bounced straight back into the 6 yard box and Hall had continued his run and followed it up, smashing it home to make it a convincing 5-1 win for South Hobart.

They now look ahead to welcoming next week’s blockbuster game at Darcy Street against Devonport Strikers.

For City it doesn’t get much easier with a trip away to Warrior Park to face Olympia Warriors on a ground that has bared only one win for City since the state leagues reintroduction in 2013.