South Hobart claimed the Tasmania NPL title with a dramatic 5-1 victory over Devonport City in the final match of the season. The result came after both sides finished the regular campaign level on eighteen points from six games each. And here's the thing — this time it wasn't Devonport dictating terms.
The home side opened the scoring in the twentieth minute, catching their visitors off guard. Devonport responded quickly, equalising in the thirty-fifth minute to level matters. To be fair, the visitors had dominated their previous encounter three weeks ago, winning 3-0 at the same venue.
What followed was a remarkable shift in momentum. South Hobart struck twice within two minutes at fifty-fifth and fifty-seventh, taking control of the match. By then, the atmosphere on the terraces had turned electric as the hosts camped in the final third.
The visitors thought they had steadied the ship before disaster struck in the sixty-sixth minute when a red card changed everything. South Hobart didn't need much longer — they added a fifth goal in the sixty-second minute and completed the rout with a late strike in ninety-plus-one.
The statistics tell only part of the story. South Hobart registered seventeen shots to Devonport's nine, but the difference lay in their clinical edge. One mistake ends it in finals football, and the visitors simply couldn't recover after going behind.
This victory crowns South Hobart as Tasmania NPL champions, ending a perfect season with eighteen points from six victories. Devonport finish as runners-up, their unbeaten record intact but their hopes dashed in the most emphatic fashion possible.