South Hobart could finally be left to popping off corks, spraying away champagne and accepting the silverware after 20 days waiting.
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But the deserving 2017 NPL Tasmanian premiers left the real celebrations on the pitch in a 7-0 drubbing over Launceston City on Saturday.
The final scoreline almost mirrored the 5-0 win against Kingborough Lions that had secured the state title three rounds out from the end of the home-and-away season.
But five goals inside 23 minutes – including three in just seven – displayed how merciless Ken Morton’s men were in a dominating run during this year’s campaign.
They finished up with 14 wins from its last 15 games since copping a round-six loss to Devonport City. A draw to Hobart Zebras last week ended 13 straight wins.
South had trickled out two goals ahead of City in the shadows of injury time when Nick Morton first scored.
But Morton would score a treble and with two goals from Darcy Hall set up a six-goal lead after 68 minutes.
City had looked to hang on grimly until Kobe Kemp in the 89th minute added a seventh at Darcy Street.
The defeat has left City to claim sixth place, two points in front of Clarence United, who drew 3-3 with Olympia.
Northern Rangers retain fifth on the NPL Tasmania table to join their crosstown rivals into the League Cup playoffs, but not by their own doing on Saturday.
Rangers, who had won earlier in their last meeting against Hobart Zebras for the first time from 15 statewide attempts, were found wanting seven weeks later.
The visitors to KGV Park were left humbled amid a 5-0 defeat to Hobart Zebras.
All the while Zebras striker Matthew Sanders equalled the deeds of opposing talisman Nick Lanau-Atkinson from just six days earlier.
Sanders netted four of his team’s five goals to all but single-handedly put Rangers out of the contest.
Star centre-back Nicholas Groenewold added the extra.
Devonport City returned back to a semblance of form on the back of a 2-0 victory over Kingborough Lions.
The Strikers recorded just their second win on Saturday from their past eight matches after dropping from top spot down to third.
The 2016 titleholders were also coming off shock back-to-back losses, but Michael Holden would score twice to reverse the club’s fortunes.
Holden, who has finished the NPL year with 11 goals, one behind captain Brayden Mann and Victorian mid-year departure Tyler Fischer, scored in each half.
Six NPL sides excluding Clarence United and Kingborough now joins Northern champions Somerset and Southern counterparts Glenorchy in the League Cup.
Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
