With the Zebras lining up in an ultra attacking formation, with Huigsloot, Sanders, Sklenar, Hey and Mckeown deployed in what was essentially a 5 man attack, with usual winger, Isky Van Doorne, starting at full back, there was also going to be goals in this game. Whilst the approach meant there were always plenty of Zebras in attack when they went forwards, it also left them undermanned at the back and South duly profited.

South had their noses in front just 5 minutes in, as some slack marking allowed Jack Turner to bob up at the back post to poke home after Adam Gorrie’s cross from the short corner. Renato De Vecchi Marins then doubled the lead on 10 minutes, as he was played in on goal and he finessed it into the far corner to make it 2-0.

The Zebras should have been down to 10 men on the half hour mark, when debutante Riley Dillon reacted badly to a foul from Nick Morton and retaliated in a manner more reminiscent of something you’d see in the WWE than NPL TAS.

Allowed to stay on, the incident seemed to reawaken South who had been on the back foot for the 10 minutes leading up to the spot fire. They twice came close to making it 3-0 as Morton fired over and De Vecchi failed to direct a headed chance from close range.

Zebras then squandered two golden chances to pull one back before the break as first Jayden Hey fired tamely, allowing Kieran Brown to make the kick save, before Brown went one better and pulled out on of the saves of the season.

Sklenar had found space in the box and smashed a drive that looked certain to score before Brown made the unbelievable stop, diving at full stretch to his right to keep it out.

Had they taken one of those chances, perhaps they might have gotten back into the game, but as it was, they were made to rue the misses when South extended the advantage just after the restart.

Connor Schmidt played a neat one-two with Morton before rifling home a shot that left Kamara with no chance. It was a well earned goal for a player who had fair claims to be best on field, such was Schmidt’s influence on the game, winning the ball for his side and getting them moving forwards.

When Gorrie played De Vecchi through into another huge hole at the back, the Brazilian made no mistake, firing home to make it 4-0 and effectively ice the game. He should have made it a hat-trick minutes later as he missed a sitter, somehow lofting it over the bar from 6 yards out.

Zebras pulled one back through Jakub Sklenar, the Czech marksman running in behind the lines and smashing it home to pull it back to 4-1.

They should have made it 4-2, but thrice wasted good goal scoring chances as Sklenar and Sanders fluffed chances you would expect them to convert.

It likely would have made little difference, South were carving them apart back the other way with their fast ball movement and their play in transition was fantastic to watch throughout. They added a fifth goal though Jack Turner, again getting on the end of an Adam Gorrie cross to head home, as again the marking at the back left a lot to be desired.

A late Sanders goal in stoppage time did little more than add a little more respectability to the final score, South Hobart running out resounding 5-2 victors.

The win sees them jump up above Zebras on the table up into third place, still six behind the leaders Launceston City, but now looming large.