Launceston has claimed its biggest scalp of the State League season with a 26-point victory over premiership fancies Glenorchy.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Blues trailed by 22 points early in the first term but restricted the Pies to just two goals thereafter to win 9.16 (70) to 6.8 (44).
The win put the Blues two games clear in fourth and was received by sidelined coach Mitch Thorp as their best of the year.
MORE FOOTBALL: Gunston fires as Hawks power home
"We know we're heading in the right direction, we know we've had a lot of strong performances but until you actually beat a side away from home..." Thorp said.
"We had two debutants that played today, we kept Connor Riethoff quiet, he played his first game and Joey Chaplin - they both played really well.
"To build a little bit more depth around our group and to go away from home and win was reward for a lot of hard work from November through to May."
Strong-bodied midfielder Fletcher Seymour shone in his third best-on-ground performance of the season as Jay Blackberry, Tim Bristow and Jack Donnellan (15 tackles) won the midfield battle.
Describing coaching from the box as "just another day at the office", Thorp watched on as Chaplin and ruck Hamish Leedham chipped in with two goals each in his absence.
"We know we're not too far away," Thorp said.
"We were in front at the 12-minute mark of the last quarter against a very strong opponent - today we go away and win against arguably a stronger or if not the same strength opponent.
"Whether we have that success later this year or it's next year we're not too sure - one thing we won't do is put a ceiling on what we can achieve this year."
The Blues meet North Hobart at home next weekend for the chance to stretch their run to four wins in five games.
At Clarence, North Launceston ended a two-game losing streak at Bellerive Oval with a 20.16 (136) to 8.6 (54) victory.
Clarence matched it with the reigning premiers early, before the Bombers began taking ascendancy at the clearances in the second term to run away with the game.
Coach Taylor Whitford was best on ground for the Bombers, while Brad Cox-Goodyer, Dakota Bannister and Bart McCulloch all finished with four goals.
"We haven't won the last two games down there so coming into that game it was something we wanted to change," Whitford said.
"They played really well inside the contest for the first quarter and a half and then we were able to get our hands on it first and get first use forward of the footy which probably proved to be the difference."
A bye and the state rep game will see the in-form Bombers wait three weeks until a Northern derby against Launceston.
"To have that response this week and 22 contributors two weeks in a row is a good step going into the bye," Whitford said.
"The bye probably comes at a bad time - we've got the double bye and we've just started to play some good footy.
"The guys will get the week off this week and mentally refresh, then we've got to come back and look to the half of the season to continually learn and get better."
SCOREBOARD
- North Launceston 4.5, 9.7, 15.14, 20.16 (136)
- Clarence 2.1, 3.3, 5.5, 8.6 (54)
- GOALS, North Launceston : D. Bannister 4, B. Cox-Goodyer 4, B. McCulloch 4, S. Egger 2, T. Whitford 2, R. Mansell 2, J. Ponting 1, K. Wadley 1
- Clarence : C. Nield 2, J. Smith 1, J. Bailey 1, Z. Buechner 1, R. Bailey 1, A. Butterworth 1, J. Harper 1
- BEST, North Launceston : T. Whitford, B. Cox-Goodyer, A. Richter-Salter, J. Rushton, B. McCulloch, J. Ponting
- Clarence : B. Jones, J. Preshaw, J. Webberley, M. Ling, S. Lewis-Johnson, C. Nield
Launceston v Glenorchy
- Launceston 1.4, 4.8, 8.12, 9.16 (70)
- Glenorchy 4.3, 5.6, 6.7, 6.8 (44)
- GOALS, Launceston : H. Leedham 2, J. Chaplin 2, B. Taylor 1, J. Donnellan 1, J. Gillow 1, J. Blackberry 1, A. Wright 1
- Glenorchy : J. Bowden 3, J. Geard 1, S. Reeves 1, T. Bowden 1
- BEST, Launceston : F. Seymour, J. Blackberry, C. Brown, J. Donnellan, J. Harper, H. Leedham
- Glenorchy : J. Bowden, B. Kamaric, S. Rundle, R. Mott, J. Geard, T. Duggan