Sport
15 August, 2022
Harcourt breaks Rovers’ hearts
HARCOURT (56) def MARYBOROUGH ROVERS (36) Fighting to keep their season alive, Maryborough Rovers threw everything at Harcourt on Saturday afternoon, but the Lions proved to be too strong, eventually shrugging off Rovers’ advances to win by 20...

HARCOURT (56) def MARYBOROUGH ROVERS (36)
Fighting to keep their season alive, Maryborough Rovers threw everything at Harcourt on Saturday afternoon, but the Lions proved to be too strong, eventually shrugging off Rovers’ advances to win by 20 goals.
The result was not beneficial for either team in actuality — for Harcourt, while four premiership points were banked, they also lost ground to Carisbrook in their battle for a top three spot, while fifth-placed Lexton closed the percentage gap to just three and a half percent in what looks to be a frantic battle for the final two spots in the top four in the final round of the home and away season.
Rovers fought hard early on, splitting the points with Harcourt in the opening stanza, with both teams scoring 12 goals apiece.
However, the Lions started to slip away in the second quarter, scoring 14 goals to Rovers’ nine to open up a five-goal lead at half time.
Rovers would not go away without a fight, as the third quarter showed, turning the game into more of a defensive affair. Only 20 goals were scored, with Harcourt scoring 11 to take a seven-goal lead into the final change.
The efforts of Rovers to keep up with the Lions were telling in the final quarter, as they could only manage six goals, while the Lions eventually eased to victory with 19 goals to end up 56-36 winners.
Chloe Brownscombe was outstanding for the Lions, scoring 41 goals for the afternoon, while Chelsey Collinson and Carly Chaplin also scored votes.
For Rovers, Chelsea Chew and Tarni Hepworth were among their better performers. T
hey now have to rely on a win over Lexton in the final round, alongside Harcourt defeating Newstead, in order to make a finals appearance.