We've been blessed to have some glorious weather in the last couple of weeks. And despite the forecast of some early rain, it didn't eventuate and Saturday dawned sunny and warm. Gore Hill was looking a treat for a big day of footy, with four games to be played; all against UNSW-ES.
The Under 18s were on first, and the game was evenly contested early, one goal apiece midway through the quarter before four late Bulldog goals. Early in the second term, the Bulldogs looked set to run away, but a mini-fightback midway through the second term saw the Bombers score three goals in a row and looked to be working their way back into the contest. But late in the quarter, the Bombers again fell away and by the long break were 37 points in arrears.
The Bombers kept working hard through the third quarter, but the run of play wasn't going our way. By the last change the Bombers were 65 points down; but they defended hard during the last quarter to prevent the scoreline blowing out any further.
Up next was the Div 4 game, the Div 4 team's last game for the season. But it wasn't a good start for the Bombers, as they struggled to get a clean possession in the first quarter and were blown away to trail by 51 points at the first change. But they would dig deep in the second quarter, stopping the rot and winning the quarter. But with still a 43 point margin at the long break, it would be a long second half.
In the hottest part of an unseasonably warm day, it was hard work out there, but the Bombers continued to run the game out. It wasn't a second half that reached any great heights; and despite the Bombers' fighting efforts, they would go down by 72 points.
That concludes the season for Div 4, and we thank them for their efforts and on and off the field this season.
Div 1 were on next, looking to bounce back after being held scoreless last week. And it took nearly a quarter to get on the board this time, by which time they were five goals down. But the goal on the quarter time siren spurred the Bombers into action and they fought hard in the second term, contesting every possession and creating scoring chances. The Bombers won the second quarter, but still found themselves 27 points down at half time.
That was as close as the Bombers could get, with the Bulldogs kicking away with seven unanswered goals in the third term. Although the Bombers kept working hard, they would eventually go down by 81 points.
A healthy crowd had built up on the hill, the shadows beginning to lengthen as the Premier Division match got under way. Danny Roberts was on the scoreboard within seconds, but this was to be an arm-wrestle with several twists of momentum. The Bulldogs took the lead and had three goals on the board before Jake Monk got one back shortly before quarter time. Early in the second quarter the Bombers hit the lead, fell behind and fought back as Dale Fitzgerald sent a booming torp through the big sticks seconds before the break to tie the scores up at the long break.
The twists and turns continued in the third quarter, a low-scoring affair in which the defences of both sides prevented the other from getting on top. At the last term, the Bulldogs led by 3 points. In the opening minute of the last quarter, the Bombers took the lead - and then the lights went out.
Play was delayed for about 15 minutes until the lights were back on & it was light enough to resume play. But the break seemed to kill the North Shore momentum, as the Bulldogs had two goals in the next two minutes and then snapped three points in a row to go 12 points ahead.
The ball travelled from end to end as the minutes ticked by and the game looked in danger of slipping away. But then two of our Rising Star nominees, Jake Monk and Matt Varjavandi goaled on the run to level the scores. And then a long bomb put us a point in front.
Fans who are noted for their coolness in time of crisis were trembling like leaves in such thrilling circumstances. The clock kept ticking as the Bulldogs came forward. And a Bulldog player marked 50 metres from goal on a tight angle. As he lined up his shot, the siren sounded. The tension was intense; but fortunately the shot sailed wide and missed everything. North Shore had won by a point.
The win guarantees us the double-chance in the finals; and thanks to another result running our way with a draw between St George and Manly, we are now on top of the ladder. If we can beat Manly at Weldon next week, we'll finish top and have the first week of the finals off.
Last Modified on 04/03/2014 13:39