The Inverell Saints chances of hosting a home final were dealt a blow following their 48 point loss to one of the premiership favorites, the Gunnedah Bulldogs at Varley Oval on Saturday.
The Bulldogs shot out of the blocks early and were never threatened by a fumbly Inverell Saints outfit who constantly missed targets and turned over the ball to the opposition.
Clearly the Dogs had cleaner ball skills and regularly hit their targets which proved to be the difference between the two teams. The Dogs wasted many chances in front of goal during the first half which may have ensured a greater winning margin.
Saints midfielders Luke Selig & Hayden Chappel battled hard all day whilst forward Ben Gregory was elusive around the ground but didn't have the same impact on the game as he did last week against the Kangaroos.
Lachie McDonald was a welcome inclusion back into the team following suspension and showed glimpses of brilliance around the forward line. The run will do him the world of good leading into the finals
Sam Kimmince, Beau Coles and newcomer Guy Mepham toiled hard in defence but could not restrict the dangerous Dogs forward line led by Mitch Swain who bagged four goals while Greg Piggot booted three majors.
The Saints will now lick their wounds and prepare for the trip to Tamworth this Saturday and a meeting with the struggling Swans outfit.
Goal Kickers: D. Pithers 2, L. White 2, B. Gregory 2, K. Te Velde, C. Whitton
Best Players: L. Selig, B. Gregory, S. Kimmince, D. Pithers, T. Tollis, G. Mepham
Earlier in the day, the Saints Juniors totally outplayed the New England Nomads to win by a massive 129 points
The home side booted seven goals to one in the first quarter to open up a handy 43 point lead at the first change. As any good team does, the home side never relented & continued to work hard, ending the game with ten separate goal kickers.
Lachie Martin was best on ground and received great assistance from Josh Desborough, Cody McGillivray and Cam Sparke -Gaukroger.
The Nomads' Morgan Dunn & Dylan Moore impressed in a beaten side.
INVERELL SAINTS
Goal Kickers: J. Desborough-Graham 5, C. McGillivray-Hartley 4, L. Martin 4, A. Lindsay 3, E. Sue-Fong 2, S. Blair 2, C. Sparke-Gaukroger, B. Cox, H. Moffitt, S. Thomas
Best Players: L. Martin, C. Sparke-Gaukroger, E. Sue-Fong, J. Martin, C. McGillivray-Hartley, J. Desborough-Graham
Last Modified on 23/07/2017 19:58