The Rathbone Engineering Bayside Bombers slumped to their third consecutive loss on the weekend as the Morningside Panthers outrun the Bombers in a lacklustre game of AFLQ Masters Football at Esplan Oval.
With the Bombers somewhat undermanned and with several players battling injury, the Panthers took full advantage of the Bombers week link. Morningside, a team full of nuggety onball types, with low centres of gravity, played wet weather football in somewhat ordinary conditions outplaying the visitors, but struggling to score, Bombers seemed lucky to go into quarter time with scores level.
Morningside jumped the gun in the second quarter winning the centre clearances and with the Bombers failing to follow their men into the backline, leaving the defence somewhat outnumbered making scoring a breeze for the Panthers. Three unanswered goals saw the Bombers go into the long break 18 point down, in the conditions a handy lead.
Some serious sour searching at half time looked to fire up the Bombers, but with Morningside scoring within the first 30 seconds, Coach Luke Crowe had his hands full, but helpless as the Bombers had just the bare 18 players. Mike Rennie, Adrian Roberts and Rodney Neilson were battling hard for the Bombers, as the backline stood strong repelling many forward thrusts from Morningside, but Morningside stood firm across the centre of the ground as a inaccurate forward line offered little to the scoreboard. Panthers up by 15 points at the orange break.
A lot noise from the Bombers at 3/4 time but not much action as the home side took control in the last quarter kicking a goal from the 1st bounce and piling on 3 more before the Bombers kicked the last one for the quarter to ease the margin to 33 points. “ We were outplayed by a stronger, fitter, faster side today, but we held our own for three quarters” Coach Russell Crowe said after the game, “ Its hard to play 18 on 23, the numbers will always win out” The Bombers have 4 of the next 5 games at home and are looking to come home with a wet sail.
SCORES. Morningside 9.11.65 def Bayside 4.8.32, Goals Rennie 2, Kearney, Parsons 1 each. Best Tiralongo, Roberts, Magher, Neilson, Houston, Rennie
Last Modified on 24/07/2013 17:01