The Inverell Saints made the trek to Number One Oval for the second time this year but this time to take on the 2009 TAFL Premiers the Tamworth Swans. This match always promised to be a tough assignment for the Saints and it proved to be exactly that as the Saints were forced to battle hard all day in order to come away with a 39 point victory.
The match started in perfect football conditions and right from the outset both teams played committed, hard football. An early goal to old legend Dick Gleeson from a great tackle got the Saints going, however the Saints struggled to overcome a committed Swans outfit who were keen to contest every single contest around the footy. This pressured the Saints into making too many simple errors with the ball. and only a couple of nice running goals from the Saints kept them in front at the first change.
The second quarter saw much of the same as the Swans continued to pile on the pressure. It looked as if the Saints might have been able to put a gap on the Swans at one point with the lead out to almost 4 goals, however the Swans kept coming and brought the margin back to a couple of kicks. Right on the stroke of halftime, the Saints had Stewart Walker sent off for the remainder of the match and the ensuing free kick on the siren saw the margin at just 8 points at the long break.
The half time message to the Saints was all about pushing harder and being more committed to the ball and it was an improved Saints outfit that took to the field in the quarter. The Saints tackled and worked much harder than they had previously, and the with the Swans refusing to take a backward step, the match turned into a tough slog. The Saints started to get some ascendancy late in the quarter, but their kicking at goal let them down for almost the first time this year, kicking 1.8 for the quarter but managing to extend the lead to 14 at the last change.
The final quarter saw the Saints again letting the Swans off the hook early with some costly misses, but the Saints were finally able to lay claim to putting some pressure on the Swans midfield. The first goal of the quarter was crucial, and when Mick Viney slotted his second for the day it opened up a 24 point lead with 15 minutes to go. The Saints kicked a couple of late goals to push the margin past 6 goals, but the scoreline was not a true reflection of the closeness of the contest.
Jono Eplhick was once again outstanding across half back, ably supported by Sam Kimmince and Matt Harrison who kept the backline tight. Corey Wheeler was named players player for a typically rugged performance in the midfield, whist Gary Hadland earned the pewter for an explosive effort up front.
The Saints now have a chance to rest some sore bodies this weekend with the bye before a run into the finals, with the Eagles at Varley the next match in 2 weeks time.
Last Modified on 19/07/2010 10:56