Division 1
Mac Uni Warriors 15.17.107 beat Pennant Hills 5.3.33
The Warriors took on the Pennant Hills Demons at home on Saturday afternoon with both sides looking to go 3-1 and ensure they stayed in touch with the undefeated Manly. It was also our youngest squad in a long time with 12 players under the age of 20 taking the field.
A number of former Demons players lined up for the Warriors with Dean Connors, Michael Twohig and Leighton Corr all looking to get a win up against their former club.
The tactic to start Big Kev up forward worked well with the big man taking an early grab against his mismatched opponent and registering the Warriors first goal of the afternoon.
Brad Moore was having his best game for the club out of the middle and provided the forward line with plenty of opportunities through his long and direct kicking whilst Dean Connors was proving hard to contain winning a number of centre clearances.
The first half highlight would have to be debutant Benji Julian kicking his first goal and 17 warriors running down to pat him on the back. The livewire forward pocket could have had 3 by halftime if not for some inaccurate kicking.
The form of Brett Harland and Andrew Polkinghorne continued with these two exciting forwards winning plenty of possession at half forward. However like 2009 our inaccurate kicking stopped us from putting any real scoreboard pressure down as we kicked 5 goals 10 behinds in the first half.
At halftime Coach Daniel Kenny stressed the importance of converting hard fought possessions further up the ground into valuable goals. Thankfully the side started to kick straight in the 2nd half none more so than James Coburn who made an outstanding contribution off the bench with 5 goals with his best goal a banana from the sideline.
The backline who conceded 4 goals in the first half with many through loose marking really tightened up and ran off their opponents during the 2nd half. Donnie Ollington & Dylan Brogan were two who shone out.
Our 2nd half conversion rate in front of goal improved dramatically with 10 goals 7 behinds kicked to ensure a good 12 goal win against a strong premier division side such as Pennant Hills.
One of the most pleasing aspects of the game was the good form shown by James Coburn, Benji Julian, Brad Moore and Sammy Lehmann.
The Warriors now take on Wollongong next Sunday as they aim to stretch their winning streak to 4 games and entrench themselves in the top 4.
Best on Ground: Brad Moore, Dean Connors, Andrew Polkinghorne, Brett Harland, James Coburn, Kev Jones
Division 3
Mac Uni Warriors 13.7.85 beat Penrith Rams10.11.71
No report
Best on Ground: J. Considine, P. Barclay, R. McGinn, P. Le Breton, C. Lobascher, M. Bishop
Division 4
Mac Uni Warriors 9.12.66 lost to Penrith Rams 10.10.70
Back at home again in round four we were confronted with an in form Penrith side that had the wood over us after last season’s corresponding game. And right from the start Penrith showed that they were here to play.
After a few easy wins the boys seemed to be still in the sheds in the first quarter and if not for some inaccurate kicking from Penrith and some resolute defence it could have been a lot uglier for the boys from Macquarie. Penrith set up camp in the forward 50 but managed only 2.6, and after about 10 minutes of play the Warriors were starting to show some glimpses of the form that has put them on top of the ladder. Some good hard running through the middle allowed us to get some good quality ball into our forward line and Butch was a more than useful target, slotting two late goals to leave us 4 points down at quarter time, a flattering result to say the least!
The second quarter started in much the same way as the first as Penrith slotted two early goals to jump out to a 3 goal lead. But Jockey and Dave were showing courage and leadership from the middle and when Dave drifted forward and grabbed an opportunistic goal we were back in the game. But poor decision making and a lack of accountability all over the ground was still hurting us badly and Penrith kicked a steadier to go into the main break with a three goal buffer.
The third quarter saw a slight change in structure with Addo going to full forward and providing an immediate impact, goaling within the first minute. It seemed that we were starting to get on top, with Burkey winning the taps in the middle and the aggression levels rising to levels of previous weeks. But every time we started to close the gap, Penrith were able to answer and despite playing by far our best quarter for the game we were still down by 15 points at the last change.
The last quarter saw the Warriors charge home as the Penrith boys started to tire and look desperate. Hobby got himself into the game with a long bomb from 50 that hit the mark and everyone all over the ground was starting to lift and play with intensity. But some simple mistakes were to cost us dearly. After narrowing the gap to 2 points mid way though the quarter we conceded a 50 metre penalty and subsequent goal, and some poor decision making continued to haunt us. Addo was still providing a great vocal point up forward and after kicking his fifth of the second half with a minute remaining we were within a kick and had a fleeting hope of victory. But the siren cried out with the ball in our forward line, so close but so far on what was just one of those days.
A game that we were never really in all day but still almost managed to pinch, and although it is a downer it gives us a chance to learn and come back stronger next week.
Best on Ground: D. Munday, M. Bourke, S. Powell, C. Addison, C. Hayes, B. Stork
Division 4
Mac Uni Kookas vs UTS
Game postponed
Best on Ground:
U18 Challenge Cup
Mac Uni Warriors vs Penrith Rams
Game postponed
Best on Ground:
Sydney Women’s
No report
Best on Ground:
Last Modified on 04/05/2010 15:08