Mark Wakefield

Hobart Zebras overcame some early poor finishing to run all over the top of Launceston City at KGV on Saturday afternoon, beating the Northerners 4-0. Luke Huigsloot was the hero for the Zebras, putting three in the back of the net and completely dominating the game, winning absolutely everything that came his way in the air.

Both teams started the game tentatively. Slowly but surely the top of the table Hobart Zebras worked their way on top and began to create more chances. For once though, they were wasteful in front of goal with a couple of misses from their key striking men that normally would have nestled in the net.

Numerous warning shots were fired and City didn't heed the warning, giving up corner after corner which eventually told. It was a corner in the 39th minute that led to the opening goal. Chris Downes perfectly flighted delivery found Huigsloot at the near post and he powered it past David Smith to make it 1-0 for the Zebras.

The scores remained at 1-0 at the break and City came out with a strong breeze behind them. However the breeze helped them little as Huigsloot scored his second for the match in the 49th minute. Mathew Sanders bodied a ball back to the midfielder before he showed deft touch to side foot a lobbed volley over Smith and into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

In the 60th minute it was 3-0 as Sanders hammered a volley into the bottom right corner past a despairing Smith dive. It was all Zebras by this stage and in the 68th minute it was 4-0. Huigsloot was again on hand to power home a booming header after he was afforded far too much space inside the box.

The game petered out from that point on with only one more good chance for either side as Sanders latched onto an absolute bullet of a drive that smashed into the left hand post and fortunately for City ran across the face of goal instead of into the back of the net.

The Zebras showed their class today and could have won by a lot more, but three points and another clean sheet would leave coach Savill as a happy man. It made it four clean sheets in as many games for the ladder leaders.  Huigsloot, Nicholas Groenewold and Jayden Hey, who was released onto a wing, were the standout players on the day in what was another great all round team performance by the Zebras.