A disappointing start to this round with Centenary having to forfeit to Redlands due to a devastating injury crisis - all the best to the injured players and we hope to see you all back on the field soon. In the game played on Friday night Norths hosted Easts at Bishop Park. Norths have been steadily improving, and despite the loss of Isaac with a broken collarbone, would have been looking at this game to score their first win of the season. They were not to be disappointed, as after a tight first half they managed to keep the Tigers tamed to notch a 22-14 victory.
The early game on Sunday, saw Holy Spirit travel across town to Brandon Park to take on Souths, who are always a tough team at home. Holy Spirit showed patches of form, but dropped too much ball to be competitive and Souths maintained equal second spot on the ladder by with a comfortable 26-12 victory.
The match of the round was between Arana and Logan Bros at Dawson Pde, although both teams were weakened by unavailablilties, with Kruize and Seppa out for Logan Bros, and Rohan and Brendan missing from the Panthers. The game started steadily with both teams playing safe football for the first 10 minutes. Arana were first to score after a sweeping length of the field move saw Carry score in the corner. Two minutes later the home side extended its lead when Logan Bros gifted them 6 points when a dropped ball out wide after a scrum win lobbed into Alex T's hands. Arana had their tails up and the visitors were making too many mistakes and by the break the Panthers had established a 20-0 lead. In many games between these two teams, the side trailling at half-time has come out with a new lease on life in the second stanza, and today was no exception with Logan Bros scoring two tries and being narrowly denied two others in the first 15 minutes after the break for them to trail by 10. Unlike the first round however Arana dteadied and when Jozey scored off the back of a scrum in the 52nd min the win was sealed. Carry picked up his second try in the closing minute to leave the final score at 32-10 which belied the closeness of the game. Special mention must go to Dean Bannerman, who has filled in at fullback the last two weeks with flying colours, who played hooker in this game in Brendan's absence and turned in another fine performance.
Stats:
Penalties: Arana 5-3
Completions: Arana 22/34; Logan Bros 14/25
By the minute:
10th min: Mitchell try; Arana 4-0
13th min: Alex T try/conv; Arana 10-0
19th min: Alex F try; Arana 14-0
28th min: Geoff try, Mitchell conv; Arana 20-0 (ht)
33rd min: Logan Bros try; 20-4
44th min: Logan Bros try/conv; Arana 20-10
52nd min: Jozey try/Geoff conv; Arana 26-10
58th min: Mitchell try/Geoff conv; Arana 32-10 (ft)
Redlands remain undefeated with the forfeit on 20 points with 4 points back to Arana and Souths on 16. Logan Bros have slipped to 4th on 12 with Redcliffe in 5th on 10. The bottom 4 is Centenary on 7, Easts on 6, Holy Spirit on 5 and Norths on 4.
Brad T
26/5/2003
