Mirboo North’s emphatic victory
MIRBOO North celebrated star 2017 premiership defender, Jacob Blair’s 100th senior game with a crucial, no nonsense 64 point victory over Hill End at Tigerland on Saturday.
The final scores were Mirboo North 13 – 19 – 97 d Hill End 5 – 3 – 33
It was the mighty Tigers third consecutive win, after dropping their first four games of the season against Yinnar, Trafalgar, Morwell East and Thorpdale.
With seven rounds of Mid Gippsland football completed, reigning premier Mirboo North remains in sixth spot on the ladder with a healthy percentage of 132.39.
The Tigers are now one game behind Morwell East, which lost to Thorpdale by 16 points at Thorpdale Recreation Reserve.
Mirboo North opened but despite doing most of the attacking, the wayward Tigers could only manage one point eight against the visitor’s two behinds in the first quarter.
Accuracy in front of the big white sticks was a challenge for Mirboo North, with only Jake Nash finding the wide opening after Lloyd Powell and Brayden Wilson linked up to deliver the footy to him.
Luke Palmer kicked the Tigers’ second major 20 seconds into the second quarter, but it was quickly answered by Hill End’s strong-as-an-ox and highly talented onballer, Amburupa Uliando.
Frequently productive performers for the Tigers were playing coach Josh Taylor, Nash, Zac Kilgower, Joe Brooks and Hudson Kerr.
With a focus on moving the ball quickly, Uliando, Josh Hecker, Simon Fairbairn and Sven Batten were going in hard for the Hillmen.
Pressure was mounting on all ball carriers as repeatedly rugged tackles created energy sapping significance for victims across the midfield and inside both forward 50s.
Mirboo North broke the game open in an eight-minute purple patch that produced four goals, when match-ending injuries to Dylan Brooks and Gerhard Egerer threw the Hillmen’s match-ups and rotations into confusion.
Kerr drove a raking 40 metre left footer home at quail height, Daniel Taylor added two more inside a minute from free kicks and Nash successfully converted after climbing high above the pack for a lovely mark.
With Brooks giving his runners an armchair ride at the centre circle clearances, the Hillmen were so befuddled they didn’t know which way was up or whether they were east of the sun or west of the moon.
Hill End eventually recovered its equilibrium and finished the term on a positive note when Ben Rotheram marked and kicked truly from 40 metres on a tight angle, as the halftime siren sounded.
Immediately after the main break, Mugsy Mooka and Rotheram came to the fore with a goal each into the wind for the Hillmen.
Hill End had temporarily closed the cracks that Mirboo North opened in its back half during the second quarter and lifted its intensity and work rate accordingly.
The Tigers seemed to have hit a flat spot, but their perseverance won through when a goal from Palmer and two more from Tim Traill and Josh Taylor pushed Mirboo North’s lead out to 39 points.
Then Palmer and Zac Kilgower added a major each and Mirboo North held an unassailable lead of 53 points at three-quarter time.
Playing coach, Josh Taylor asked the Tigers for a percentage-building last quarter, but Hill End’s determination and resolve refused to allow it.
Goals to Palmer and Kilgower closed out the Tigers’ day after Mooka produced his second that was the Hillmen’s fifth and final major.
Mirboo North’s next task is to defeat Newborough on the Bulldogs’ home turf this Saturday.
If so, the Tigers will go into their clash against league leader,Yallourn Yallourn North the following week with a great deal of confidence.
Long term: Mirboo North’s Jacob Blair played his 100th senior club game on Saturday.
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Posted by Sarah Vella on May 22 2018. 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
