For the first time in about a decade South (Melbourne) were back in Tassie to face South (Hobart), this time in the Round of 32 of the Australia Cup.

Hobart were hungry to prove a point, after dominating the state competition once again, this fixture was shaping up to be the biggest game of football in Tassie this year and once again illustrated the beauty of the competition.

Not only did it elevate Hellas to national football but the Australia Cup cuts through in regional communities in a big way. There were news reports on Channel 9 in Tassie, updates on SEN Radio and articles in the paper – even fluffy preview ones which are a rarity for the game these days!

No one was going to ruin the party… until you factor in Australia’s delightful airlines! Hellas had to scramble to reschedule a flight into Hobart after the initial flight was cancelled, leaving the players briefly stranded, and eventually only able to enjoy a couple of hours to prepare for the game.

The delayed touchdown and frosty conditions appear to have impacted Hellas who clearly weren’t at their best. South Hobart pounced on this and took the lead through a monstrous overhead kick by Kemp which sent the 3,500 strong crowd into raptures and made the rounds on social media.

However Hellas clicked into gear and responded quickly though none other than Andy Brennan who returned to his home state with a goal to silence the crowd. Replicating a move which is becoming more common, Hellas played the ball on the ground from defence and through the middle to create the attack. As the ball came out wide to set up a cross four South players streamed into the box to create options, the undefendable Brennan sprinted past the helpless South Hobart defence and met the cross on the volley slamming it past the keeper to restore parity.

Just ten minutes later South scored again, this time thanks to a high press that forced an error from the Tasmanians. Bonada once again showed his poaching instincts, winning the ball in the box and slamming it home to give us the lead.

The scoreless second half meant that we finished the game 2-1 winners to the delight of the travelling South fans. Once again we came back from behind and now find ourselves alongside football powerhouses Nunawading in the Round of 16 of the Australia Cup.

The most encouraging thing about the result was the circumstances it was achieved in. It showed true grit from the team to win after, arriving interstate late, going behind, facing a large crowd, cold conditions, and somehow missing out on yet another penalty call!

That’s right we still haven’t received a penalty this season, however we did receive an indirect free kick in the box… go figure!

Heidelberg next will conclude our wild week of football!