Tigers knock out reigning premiers

MIRBOO North’s season of smiles, trials and perseverance remains alive, after it powered its way to a 34 point victory over reigning Mid Gippsland premier Newborough in the elimination final at Thorpdale on Sunday.
Mirboo North now faces Thorpdale in the first semi final at Willow Grove this Sunday.
Spectators paid $10 at the gate to witness the mighty Tigers immediately unlock and unload an arsenal of fire and fury on the Bulldogs.
In the first three minutes of the match, stunned onlookers watched successive goals come from Brayden Wilson, Kris Berchtold and Jack Robertson.
Mirboo North was better organised at ground level and quickly forced Newborough’s defenders into a feeling of insecurity, with its belligerent and bold forward advances at full pace.
Mat Slattery, who finished with five outstanding goals for the afternoon, temporarily calmed Doggies’ fans’ nerves with Newborough’s first major after eight minutes of frenetic play.
Then Zac Kilgower marked and sent a 55 metre long bomb through the big white sticks, before Riley Oddy added another from a 50 metre penalty to give Mirboo North a 24 point lead at quarter time.
With Mat Slattery, Josh Whittaker, Joshua Hecker, Adam Kennedy and Tom Slattery beginning to shine, Newborough bounced back with a vengeance by kicking four goals and hitting the front midway through the second term.
Andrew Philip and Daniel Halstead had stiffened Newborough’s defence, but they couldn’t prevent Jake Nash soaring like an eagle to mark overhead and give Mirboo North a four point advantage.
Nash’s timely ascent restored a sense of authority to the Tigers, after regaining the lead and heading to the change rooms for the long break.
Two goals from Mirboo North and three by the Bulldogs in a see-sawing third term had the teams locked together at 8.5 apiece at three quarter time.
With weariness setting in and mistakes cropping up, this game’s destiny was in the balance.
Encouraging words of eloquence and wisdom by playing coach Clancy Bennett inspired Mirboo North to produce a sensational last quarter of runaway football that stopped Newborough in its tracks.
Joe Brooks’ high leaping, punching and palming at the stoppages, from which many clearances flowed, became Mirboo North’s engine room activator.
Wilson’s classy snap out of a pack and across his body gave the Tigers their ninth major – but Newborough quickly replied with what turned out to be its last goal for 2017.
The Tigers were successfully running the gauntlet and the Doggies’ strategies, structures and processes suddenly fell apart under pressure.
Marks previously taken hit the deck, fumbles appeared out of nowhere and tackles wouldn’t stick.
Mirboo North’s tall defenders Julian Blackford, Dwayne Gunn and Ben Richards marked strongly, whilst Bennett, Luke Palmer and Jacob Blair mopped up when the ball was in dispute.
Skipper Damien Turner, Beau Ridgway, Mitchell Wightman, Robertson and Dom Pinneri stole the march on their opponents and kept burrowing into contests with vim and vigor for the Tigers.
Darryl Mayman and Berchtold added two more goals that gave Mirboo North a 14 point cushion after 11 minutes.
Then Blair, Nash and Robertson ferried the ball 155 metres to Berchtold, who ran in and booted his third major for the day to kick the Tigers 20 points clear.
Soon after, Nash found Josh Taylor on a fast lead, but the blond bombshell’s set shot just missed.
Hudson Kerr superbly marked Newborough’s kick in and curled a left foot drop punt high over the goal umpire’s head.
To cap off a magnificent last quarter for Mirboo North, Wightman kicked goal number 14 on the final siren, after accepting a 50 metre penalty from a Newborough indiscretion.
The winning score was Mirboo North 14.10.94 to Newborough 9.6.60.

Dodge: Mirboo North’s Jake Nash keeps the ball out of reach of his Newborough opponent.

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Posted by Sarah Vella on Aug 22 2017. Filed under Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry