Match One: New England Nomads def Gunnedah Bulldogs by forfeit
The first of the weekend’s matches was a non event with the Dogs forced to forfeit on Saturday morning following a shortage of numbers at the team meeting point. It is disappointing for all involved, especially those that put the effort in each week only to be let down by a small minority. The Nomads lock up top spot on the TAFL ladder with the win and will host the Major Semi Final in Armidale on August 17th. The Dogs will try to re-group before next week’s clash with the Saints in Gunnedah.
Match Two: Inverell Saints 16.18.114 def Tamworth Swans 4.7.31 at Varley Oval
The Saints maintained their home winning streak with an 83 point success over the Swans in Inverell on Saturday afternoon. The Saints led from start to finish to record their 4th straight win at home and stayed in touch with the Roos for second spot. The Swans still remain without a win for 2013, but again showed they have the ability to push teams in the contest.
The match started in near perfect conditions but both sides struggled to get the pill under control in the early going. Neither team was able to gain the upper hand, with the Saints taking a 15 point lead into the first change following a scrappy first 25 minutes.
The second stanza saw an improved Saints outfit take to the field. They executed better with the footy and capitalised with 5 majors for the quarter. The Swans forward line couldn’t buy a goal, and despite some encouraging attacking forays, where thwarted by the Saints miserly defence. The margin at the half had extended to 36 points with the Saints looking in control.
The third quarter again belonged to the Saints. They kicked another 5 goals for the stanza and asserted their authority on the contest. The short-handed Swans started to run out of the legs in the Premiership quarter, and despite registering their first goal since the opening quarter, they found themselves 74 points in arrears with a quarter to go.
The final quarter became something of a dour affair as both clubs switched to survival mode with their return clash just 3 days away. The Swans managed another couple of goals in the last and restricted the Saints to just 3 for the stanza, however some of that had to do with some bizarre decisions in front of the Saints goal. The Swans could take some confidence out of their last 25 minutes and will face a Saints side in Tamworth on Tuesday night missing some key players.
Hayden Chappel was the focal point to goal for the Saints with 4 goals from the midfield, with Gary Hadland chipping in 3. Captain Justin Pay was their best, with Hamish Bird and Mitch Hall also good contributors. For the Swans, they had no multiple goal kickers, however Gavin Knee, Paul Tapper and Sam Shelton were their best.
The two sides will now clash on Tuesday to catch up on their Round 10 washout game at Number One Oval.
Match Three: Tamworth Kangaroos 15.16.106 def Muswellbrook Cats 10.7.67 at Werriman Field
The Roos have maintained their top 2 spot on the TAFL ladder with a hard fought 39 point win over the Cats in Muswellbrook on Saturday afternoon. The Roos led at every change but were unable to put the Cats away until the last quarter where they piled on 7 goals to 1 to record the win and keep second spot on the ladder.
The match started with both clubs attacking the footy with venom. The Roos had the early ascendancy but were wasteful in front of the big sticks, managing only 4 goals from 10 shots. The Cats however were much more efficient and were within 11 points at the first change, their belief rising with every contest.
The second quarter saw the Roos pinch a little break from the Cats. Again, both clubs put pressure on the ball carrier which was forcing players to rush with disposal and the contest became a scrappy affair. The Roos managed 4 majors for the quarter to 3 for the Cats who were again efficient going forward. The half time margin stood at 18 points with both clubs still right in the hunt.
The third quarter saw the contest really heat up. The Cats upped the ante in defence and were rewarded with more chances on goal in attack. The Roos on the other hand continued to be wasteful and could not manage a goal for the quarter despite 6 behinds. The margin was back to 5 points with a quarter to go with the game in the balance.
Perhaps inspired from a spray at the last change, the Roos machine finally clicked into gear in the last quarter. They got their kicking boots on and finished the game of with 7 goals 1 behind to run away winners. The Cats had battled so hard for the so long of this match and although they didn’t come away with the points they would have grown in confidence knowing they could match it for so long.
Matt Hodge continued his stellar season with 5 goals while Cam Douglas chipped in with 3 of his own. Dan Gimbert, Dean Hoy and Luke Robinson were the best for the Roos. For the Cats, Ken Garland was again the main avenue to goal with 6 majors, with Jackson Bower, Clinton Blenmen and Nick Bottrill their best.
Last Modified on 29/07/2013 11:24