Talisman Darcy Hall proved instrumental in the resounding 6-0 win at Valley Road that included three late visitors’ goals in 11 minutes.

Hall would end up with a hat-trick from scoring in the 85^th and 89^th minute.

Notching his first on the scoresheet ensured South a two-goal lead at half-time and he would also play a hand in a further two.

Jack Turner added a third soon after the break and Connor Cass the next, both shots from short range, to bolster the advantage out to four by 78 minutes.

The new NPL titleholders were crowned six days earlier from a five-goal victory over Kingborough, pulling out to an unassailable 10-point break over the Strikers and Olympia three matches out. 

Last year’s champions had been out front of South after 13 rounds, but have since earned just four points in six games, including four losses that ended their NPL reign.

The day was not helped when Strikers star Brayden Mann was substituted off injured on the half an hour.

And it ended up worse when Raphael Reynolds was handed a late red card for a frustrated studs-up tackle.

Launceston City has also continued its rare vain of top form this season in a 1-0 win over Hobart Zebras.

The victory was City’s fourth in a row, a feat the club has not achieved in the short annals of the NPL Tasmania.

City has remarkably now moved up three spots in five weeks from bottom to fifth to leapfrog Northern Rangers overnight by two points.

But the crosstown rivals have an opportunity on Sunday to regain its position in an away encounter against Olympia Warriors in Hobart.

City has also all but booked a spot in the post-season League Cup draw.

Kingborough’s 1-0 loss to Clarence United on Saturday keeps City six points out of the danger zone with just two NPL games left to play.

City had come out early hard to apply pressure on Zebras’ defence, as Dylan Williams nearly scored from a shot that hit the crossbar after just six minutes.

But the American made amends from outside the box that took a deflection onto the post and rolled over for a 17th-minute and third goal for the year.

City would pepper the goals and had eight attempts compared to five, as the Zebras were largely ineffective.

The visitors’ defeat was their second in Launceston coming after ex-City great Peter Savill resigned mid-year when Rangers defeated Zebras by the same margin.