Cougars 9 4 58 drew with Blues 8 10 58
Kicking with a 3-4 goal wind in the opening quarter, the Cougars opened up an impressive 37-point lead at the first change. They had learned from mistakes of the past and moved the ball quickly, exploiting their pace advantage ove the Blues. Aaron Harris was superb in the opening stanza and has stamped himself as the most athletic player in the CAFL. The Cougars continued to apply pressure in the second quarter, limiting the Blues to a solitary goal with a weakening breeze. Things turned sour late in the term, however, when both Harris and De Joux left the ground with match ending injuries. The pace came off the game in the second half and this suited the Blues style of play. They were able to win the contested ball in close and apply their own psychological pressure on the younger Cougars. Tempers became flared late in the game and the Cougars handed some easy goals to the Blues, compliments of free kicks close to goal. Sensing they had a chance, the Blues lifted and it was a matter of time whether the tiring Cougars could hold on. They had three shots on goal in the quarter, missing two and turning one into a "play on" scenario which ultimately turned the ball over to the Blues. The last couple of minutes were tense, with Cougars repelling and the Blues counter attacking. The game was sealed when a misdirected kick into the Blues forward pocket was pounced upon by Richard Bradley, who for once had found himself clear of Joe Hendry. The right foot snap seemed to drift across the goal, but the wind pushed it through the major uprights, leaving the Cougas defense in disbelief. Well done to both teams for a great game.
Bulldogs 13 20 98 def Eagles 2 5 17
The Bulldogs applied four quarters of physical pressure to crush the winless Eagles in the second game at Northwoo Park. The "street fighting" Bulldogs are not pretty, but they get the job done. With 33 shots on goal, only their poor disposal stops them from kicking bigger scores. They have consistent winners in Coom and Steele and have tough nuts in Langridge, Pederson and Balchin. The Eagles won plenty of ball in the mid-field, but fell down at both ends of the ground, where they lacked leading targets and solid defenders who can read the play. They had good contributions from the ever reliable Chung and Kelly, with Nuttall chipping in with late goals. It was rumoured the Eagles may have been celebrating the end of the academic year a little early, as they were down a couple of useful regulars after a bigger than usual Friday night..
Last Modified on 21/10/2008 20:21