Riddell kept its finals dreams alive after it defeated Macedon by 13 points in the second elimination final at the Boardman Reserve. The Bombers didn't have it all their own way against a spirited Macedon line-up also determined to keep its finals hopes alive.
The Bombers sprinted out of the blocks early to lead by 27 points at the first change thanks to some brilliant work from Jarryd Cox and Dan Sahlberg. Andrew McCabe was relentless in the packs as he won plenty of hard contested possession to set up teammates through the midfield. Macedon sprung into life in the second term as Stuart O'Connor, Josh Clough and Tim Dettmann started to dominate in the midfield to keep Tom Walliss and Adam Cusworth busy in the forward line. The margin was six points at half-time and the stage was all set for an exciting second half.
Riddell held sway in the third term with four goals to two as Haydn Ross and Ben Sonogan caused headaches for the Macedon defence. John Harley had to work harder to stop the flow of goals as the Bombers pushed away to a 21-point three-quarter-time lead. There was still plenty of life in the game and the Cats still had belief. The game turned into a shootout in the final term with the Bombers matching the Cats on the goal front. They kicked to kick four goals for the term while the Cats kicked five and held on to win by 13 points. Matt Sammut was at his usual best for the Bombers while Matt Goodwin ran hard through the midfield to give his forwards plenty of opportunity. Riddell will now take on Diggers Rest on Sunday at home in a sudden-death semi-final.
Last Modified on 04/09/2012 17:43