SCOTT BERECHREE
FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
By SCOTT BERECHREE
A FIVE goal to nil 12-minute burst in the third term was the difference between
winning and losing when Traralgon Tyers United took on Woodside in the North Gippsland Football-Netball League match of the round.
While the home team Bombers led at quarter time by four points, the margin would have been much greater if not for some straight forward misses in front of goal.
The Bombers Mitch Mustoe, Jye Neilson and Ben Northover were all guilty of missing shots players of that calibre would normally slot and when Wildcat David Waddell slotted his second of the quarter after a free kick in the square things were much tighter on the scoreboard than they probably should have been as the first term ended.
Liam Willaton, standing alongside Woodside’s Lee Stockdale at stoppages, was in everything for TTU along with Neilson and Kade Duncan.
For Woodside it was Ryan Foat and Waddell leading the way early.
Foat was clearly beating Rowan Hore in the ruck however TTU still managed to win plenty of stoppages and set up scoring opportunities.
The second quarter was all Woodside.
The visitors took a near on three goal advantage into the long break.
Michael O’Sullivan goaled at the five minute mark after a strong grab and when Stockdale went forward he slotted a left foot banana at the nine minute mark before setting up Jai Williams with an outstanding pass.
When Williams kicked truly the players came from everywhere to celebrate the young fella’s first goal in senior footy and all the momentum was with the Wildcats.
As the half-time siren sounded things got somewhat heated with several players coming together to offer each other some advice.
Even members of the coaching staff took the opportunity to provide directions on how to find the relevant change rooms.
The temperature in the home team’s room certainly didn’t subside during the break with Bombers coach Jamie Aitken reading the riot act to his team.
Whatever it was he asked certainly worked as it was a Bomber blitz to start the third term. Stuart Goddard started things off with a piece of individual brilliance that saw his left foot dribbler duck and weave left then right like it was remote controlled before ultimately rolling though the middle of the big sticks.
Then it was the skippers turn, Neilson’s goals at the fifth and 13-minute marks came from strong grabs and with Jayden Cutts going bang bang either side of Neilson’s second the Bombers had flipped the game on its head. They’d gone from three goals down to two up in the space of a dozen minutes.
To their credit though the Wildcats steadied and snagged the last two majors of the term through Stockdale and Waddell.
With spot fires again breaking out across the ground it was a much needed three-quarter time siren that sounded.
The scoreboard showed a two-point lead to TTU that came on the back of some of the best footy played in the NGFNL this season.
The move of Zach Kilgower to the front half provided an extra option for the Bombers and freed up Neilson and Hore to roam far and wide.
Dougal Williams and Duncan provided plenty of run and carry on the outside for the home side with Willaton and Mustoe doing the grunt work.
For the visitors the Waddell boys in David and Brett were in everything as was Josh Scott.
The move of Stockdale into the forward 50 arc provided plenty of spark and all was set for a titanic last quarter.
When Neilson slammed home the first goal of the last quarter after just 90 seconds of play the game had a similar feeling to it as the start of the third.
This time however Woodside put the slows on the home side and slotted two of the next three.
First it was Foat who goaled from long range and then O’Sullivan who had
threatened to take mark of the year half a dozen times finally held onto one and then kicked truly.
Twenty two minutes gone, the travelling side had the lead and the momentum but TTU co-captain Mustoe was having none of it.
Noted as quiet in the first half, Mustoe stepped up when it mattered and asserted himself on the game when it was there to be won.
He was pivotal in a last quarter that could have gone either way, his goal at a key point in play was the icing on the cake.
When Goddard, who looks like he has borrowed his haircut from John Rambo, followed up with his second goal at the 24-minute mark TTU led by eight points and looked safe.
A couple of rushed behinds to Woodside saw the draw come into play with seconds left on the clock but TTU managed to control the tempo for the last few moments of the game and held on for a six point win 10.9 (69) to 9.9 (63).
Both Willaton lads in Liam and Hayden were good for TTU with the former arguably just BOG over skipper Neilson.
Neilson this year is stamping himself as a real leader and one of the best players in the competition.
Hore toiled all day in the ruck and Michael Jacobsen, while not having one of his more dominant 40 possession games, was all class when he was involved.
Scott was excellent for Woodside and Stockdale showed his class. Ben Johnson stood tall across the back line and both the Waddells and both Morgans (Jeremy and Josh) were also solid contributors.
IN other games a ridiculously inaccurate Churchill managed to get the points over Sale City.
Any time you are generating 42 scoring shots you are doing something right but when the final score reads 13.29 (107), Tuesday night’s training drills might be fairly obvious.
Ben Kearns, returning after a week off, managed eight for the winners in a best on ground effort.
He was joined by only three others on the goal kicking list with mid-cum-forward Chris Wangman and Chris Williams slotting a pair while Cain Iorangi managed a major also.
The driving wind must have only impacted one end of the ground, the end Churchill was kicking to each quarter, as Sale City managed a more than respectable 11.9 (75). Adam Gray with three and Ben Britt with a pair were the Bulldogs multiple goal kickers.
Ben Chivers continued his recent run of good form with another solid performance for the tri-colours with Mitch Evans and Bohdi Walker also listed as their better contributors.
SOMEWHAT surprisingly the closest game of the round saw Glengarry welcome Yarram to town.
Recent form might have suggested the Demons would be too strong for the Magpies and that is perhaps how things looked at three-quarter time with Yarram leading by 43 points.
To the home side’s credit though they flew home like Bernborough and failed by a solitary point to chalk up the upset of the year, going down 12.17 (89) to 13.10 (88).
Curiously Yarram had a handful of senior players back-up from the early game and this looked telling late.
Factor in a couple of in-game injuries that meant no midfield rotations and the visitors were out on their feet.
Glengarry took full advantage of this to nearly double their three quarter time score in the last term.
Ironically after all the scoring Glengarry was able to achieve it was the solitary score for Yarram in the last quarter, a behind, that mattered most.
Corbin Sutherland was best for the Demons.
Michael Ryan and Zac Bezzina each kicked four goals for the Magpies, and were well served by Ben Britten, Jesse Lee, Seth Healy and Reagan McDonald.
They do tend to always make things interesting Yarram.
WHILE some big spaces determined the final two games at least one of the vanquished, Gormandale, could point to some improvement from their last outing.
The Tigers lost 18.24 (132) to 5.3 (33), and although going down by 99 points is never going to be a positive, the fact the Tigers managed to kick five majors after going scoreless last week is a plus.
For Rosedale it was Frazar Brouns and Tom Love with five and three goals who did most of the damage.
Isaac Copland kicked three goals to be best on for Gormandale.
THE final game of the round saw Heyfield huge 168-point winners over Cowwarr.
Heyfield fired off a warning shot last week with their 205-point win and backed it up this week with another of similar substance, this time with the scoreboard reading 29.17 (191) to 3.5 (23).
While the opposition sides in the last two weeks may not be up to finals standard, the Kangaroos must now surely be eyeing off a run at the post-regular season.
Their ability to kick a score is beyond doubt, so much interest will centre on Heyfield’s defence in their next few clashes when they meet three of the league’s top four sides.
Jesse Bedggood went large again slotting nine goals with young star Tyson Birss helping himself to five.
All singles for Cowwarr went to Anthony Barrett, Ben Plozza and coach Shane Galea kicking truly.
Kevin Hood was named best for the Saints along with Ben Coffey and Jack Casson.
YALLOURN Yallourn North had the bye, but still retain top spot courtesy of a superior percentage to Churchill and Yarram who both sit on the same number of wins as the Jets.
