St Bedes / Mentone Tigers vs De La Salle

Match Report

DLS started well into a mild breeze, but failure to capitalise on some good running & handball, marred the start. Jake marked & converted from CHF following a fine pass from Liam Jenkins at the 9 minute mark. STBMT responded, shortly thereafter, 11 minutes in. From congested play at CHF, Christian Algeri snapped a fine goal at the 16 minute mark. This was quickly by Sam Williams who goaled after taking a spectacular mark close to goal.STBMT goaled twice late in the quarter, firstly from a gaol square scrum & secondly from a free kick.

Play was intense in the 2nd qtr until Liam Eldering mark a fine low pass, directly in front & converted at the 9 minute mark. A further period of intense play ensued on the small confines of the Brindisi oval. SBMT goaled after 3 successive frees, only 1 of which on our HFF, could be deemed as warranted! DLS was clearly on top but could not convert this ascendency into scoreboard pressure. At the 25 minute mark, Lachie Gawel marked a good pass from Indi & at last converted from CHF.

Trent Shannon, tenacious in a pack, cleverly short passed to Indi at CHF just as the ½ time siren sounded. After Indi kicked accurately from about 45 meters, DLS had an 8 point margin.

STBMT, in total domination of the centre bounce clearances, slammed on 4 goals in the 1st 9 minutes of Qtr 3! Failure to punch in marking contests close to goal was really poor footy! Liam Eldering, who was contesting well, marked & goaled at the 13 minute mark, after a fine piece of play involving Lackie Gawel & Jake W. Eldering, again taking a strong contested mark, goaled at the 16 minute mark, to give DLS a chance with the wind advantage to come in Qtr4.

But all this good work was undone when STBMT goaled twice late in Qtr3. And again, we were found out, when a SBMT player marked on his chest In a pack in the goal square!

STMT started Qtr 4 with a 16 point margin, but with DLS going to the favourable end, prospects were promising. Those prospects dimed  appreciably, when STBMT goaled at the 9 minute mark. DLS attacked persistently, but without any cohesion! It appeared that too many players were trying to win the game “off their own boot”

Liam Jenkins, freed & then benefiting from a 50 meter penalty, goaled right on the final siren. As Nick Hyland said after the game, we can’t win games when players completely disregard instructions. I would add: We have to finish off our work by kicking the ball to a DLS player & NOT DIRECTLY to an opposition player. We must generate run from behind, specifically from our half back line!

Best: Sam Williams, Liam Murphy, Nathan Scollo, Christian Algeri, Liam Eldering, Liam Wood
Goals: Eldering 3, Algeri, Gawel, Adrian Indovino, Liam Jenkins, Jake Williams, S Williams