SCOTT BERECHREE
FOOTBALL
NORTH GIPPSLAND
By SCOTT BERECHREE
TRARALGON Tyers United won their way through to the North Gippsland Football-Netball League second semi-final after getting over the top of a stoic Churchill at Stephenson Park on Saturday.
In a game befitting of second-versus-third, the Bombers overcame a sluggish start to win by 28 points, 10.12 (72) to 6.8 (44). In doing so, they have given themselves a chance to win straight through to the Grand Final if they can overcome Yallourn Yallourn North this Saturday at Rosedale.
Churchill on the other hand was consigned to needing to win their way through to the big dance off Broadway; and face elimination at each turn from here on in. And that starts on Sunday when they take on Woodside, who took care of Yarram at Gaskin Park.
The late withdrawal of the league’s leading goal kicker Ben Kearns before Saturday’s game left many wondering how the Cougars might boot a winning score. And with the Bombers holding them to a season low 6.8 (44) for the day, those fears were clearly realised at the final siren.
Things looked vastly different early though, with Churchill slotting three of the first four gaols and looking like scoring every time they ventured forward.
Firstly it was Joey Whykes snapping truly, and then the evergreen Brendan Holt, who picked up a drive-by handball off Tom Sevenson and slotted a major from outside the arc.
When Chris Wangman nailed his first for the day the Cougars had kicked three in 10 minutes and things looked grim for TTU.
Enter Brad Kelleher. Two strong marks in front of goal saw him kick the Bombers’ second and third, and with his second coming just as the siren marked quarter time, the Bombers jogged to their huddle down by only two points, after been mostly outplayed for the first term.
With Chris Williams and Michael Diaz in everything for Churchill early, TTU coach Jamie Aitken swung the changes with full effect and the second quarter was all red and black.
The Bombers had 11 of the 12 scoring shots for the quarter. With Rowan Hore and Tom Fleming marking freely up the ground, it was left to Liam Willaton and Stuart Goddard to put the finishing touches on for the Bombers as they went forward.
After a series of misses it was Willaton who snagged back-to-back goals, and at the seven and 11 minute mark of the second term, the Bombers’ dominance was finally starting to show on the scoreboard.
In fact a series of missed opportunities from Jye Neilson and Jayden Cutts was all that stood between TTU and an unassailable lead at the main break.
If not for a Cain Iorangi snap around the corner midway through the term for Churchill, it might well have been a bridge too far as the sides made haste for the sheds at the long interval.
With Churchill losing Ryan Lowrie and Angus Mitchell to injury in the second term, it was going to take something special for the Cougars to get back in the game after the change.
The Cougar brain trust moved the magnets around over the long break and put Kurt Holt into the ruck and moved Dillon Leys forward. Wangman was sent into defence to curb Kelleher’s influence and Riley Flanigan was asked to run with TTU’s most dominant onballer to that point in time Michael Jacobsen.
Leys had dominated the ruck early but with Jacobsen, Mitch Mustoe and Willaton getting their hands on everything in the middle for the Bombers, his dominance was not reflected on the scoreboard.
With both sides knowing what was at stake, a 15-minute arm wrestle opened the second half before that man again, Kelleher, marked and goaled for the Bombers. If the large lady wasn’t yet ready to sing she had at the very least started to loosen up the vocal cords.
At the 15-minute mark Whykes won a free kick and 50-metre penalty to see Churchill get one back, but the term finished with Hore kicking truly, also from a free kick, leaving the Bombers 22 points up and on the cusp of victory at the last change.
Quinn Sinclair and Jack Brown were intercepting everything for TTU, and with Trent Hourigan finding targets by foot from defence, it was all but impossible to see how Churchill could claw back into the game.
The last quarter started with TTU opting to run with their third ruck option to start the quarter, which provided them the chance to shore up their defensive unit. With Hore and Fleming swapping as loose players across half-back between them and Jack Brown, Churchill simply could not hit the scoreboard.
When Sevenson hit the deck after a courageous attempt to win the footy resulting in play being stopped while has was helped from the ground, Churchill had fired their best shot and come up short.
There is still plenty of footy left in the season for both sides. Churchill will be keen to get Jake Roe-Duggan and Ben Skinner back on the park, along with Kearns when they next take the park.
While for TTU, they will be looking forward to taking on YYN for a spot in the grand final this weekend.
The Bombers looked to be at almost full strength on Saturday, however the long sleeves and left foot of Kade Duncan were noticeable absentees on a wing.
IN the Sunday clash, Woodside chalked up win number one over their fiercest rival Yarram for season 2022 when it mattered most.
Going into the game zero and two for the year and having won three fewer games than the Demons during the season, it was widely expected the Wildcats were up against it in the elimination final.
After a first quarter where both sides managed only one goal each, it was an inaccurate Yarram who led by four points.
The tone was set for an arm wrestle and the huge crowd were anticipating a slug-fest that would go right down to the wire.
Fast forward three quarters and the underdog managed a further 10 majors while restricting Yarram to just four more.
The final scoreboard read 11.16 (82) to 5.15 (45).
Inaccuracy plagued the Yarram side all day, but at the last change the Demons were still well in the contest, trailing by just 10 points.
The last quarter however was all one-way traffic, with Woodside slamming on five majors to one to see local bragging rights and at least one more week of finals for the Wildcats.
It was the Wildcats first finals win since forming as Woodside and District in 2008.
