Walter Pless on Football

By Walter Pless

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South Hobart Division One coach Jed Donoghue has refused to concede the title to Beachside despite the huge goal-difference in Beachside’s favour.

Beachside have one match remaining - next Saturday away to second-last Christian United at Sherburd - and lead second-placed South Hobart by six points.

South Hobart have two games remaining - Wednesday evening against Christian United at KGV Park at 8.15pm, and against bottom-side Huon Valley at home on Sunday, 2 September, at Wellesley Park.

Beachside have an 18-goal advantage in goal-difference over South Hobart and need just a draw against Christian United to make absolutely certain of the title.

South Hobart need Beachside to lose and then they could catch the leaders on points, but even then, South Hobart would have to win by mammoth scores against Christian United and Huon Valley.

In the first round games, Beachside beat Christian United 3-0, while South Hobart just scraped home 3-2 against Christian United and thrashed Huon Valley 10-0.

“I expect us to win against Christian on Wednesday night and it should be a good game,” said Donoghue.

“We have a slim hope, a very slim hope, of pipping Beachside for the title, but we’ll go for it.”

South Hobart will have David McCormack back, as well as Bernhard Klasen, who had a run in the reserves on the weekend, but the big news is they will field senior Premier League defender Hugh Ludford.

He replaces defender Craig Burgess, who is sidelined with a knee injury.

Christian United welcome back central midfielder Isaac Lucas, who has been ill with tonsillitis but played in the reserves on the weekend.

“We’ll have a similar team to the one on the weekend and it’ll be a tough game,” said United’s Jonathon Wierenga.

“We lost against them 3-2 in the first round but they scored the winner with the last kick of the game.”