Sport
6 May, 2024
Lions come from the clouds to beat Trentham
TRENTHAM 10.14 (74) def by HARCOURT 10.16 (76) The Lions just don’t know how to lose, do they? In what has to rank as one of Harcourt’s finest successes in the modern era — and there’s a lot of competition — the Lions roared back from...
TRENTHAM 10.14 (74) def by HARCOURT 10.16 (76)
The Lions just don’t know how to lose, do they?
In what has to rank as one of Harcourt’s finest successes in the modern era — and there’s a lot of competition — the Lions roared back from a 39-point deficit at one stage during the third quarter to put their noses in front right at the death, defeating Trentham at Trentham Reserve by two points to make it 31 wins in succession.
The first quarter saw Harcourt get off to the better start, with Jed Rodda kicking the opener after the Lions took it from one end to the other, converting a sharply taken opportunity, but that was matched at the other end by Jake Keogh, who put together his own special piece of play to reply for the Saints.
In what would be a familiar pattern for much of the day, the Saints would kick two of the next three to lead, including a brilliant piece of team play for their third goal, to lead by eight points at the first break.
After the Lions kicked the first goal of the second term through Baxter Gurd, the Saints would have much of the play in the second, kicking their first goal through Alister Ferrier, and shortly after adding a second through Sam Kelly. A number of missed chances followed, but the Saints would have the half time lead they were hoping for when James Regan put through their sixth goal, and led by 20 points at the main break.
Trentham continued to motor as the second half got underway, with Regan adding another, followed by Joel Cowan, who was providing plenty of grunt work, to get the margin out to 33. Keogh added another, and it looked all over with a game-high lead of 39.
The Lions were in dire need of a response, and did kick the next two goals to reduce the margin to 27 points, before the two teams shared the next two goals to leave the margin at 28 going into the last change the Saints’ way.
Whatever was said at three-quarter-time by Lions coach Carl Thiesz energised the club as a whole, and they responded in kind with an electric last quarter comeback.
It started almost immediately, with a clever quick handball from Alex Code setting up Jordan Gartside for a long running goal to give the Lions a sniff, before Cameron Anderson soon strolled in to an open goal to reduce the margin to 16 points.
When Braydon Vaz intercepted an errant Trentham kick across goal, it meant that Harcourt were within eight points with eight minutes played in the last, and it was well and truly game on.
Trentham managed to get the game into a holding pattern for much of the next 10 minutes, despite Harcourt’s manic pressure which finally clicked for them in the last term, with the next five scoring shots for either team behinds.
Enter Vaz.
Vaz would sidestep a would-be tackler, before setting sail on the right boot from distance to give the Lions their first lead since early in the first quarter.
Trentham would have one last chance, with Regan getting an opportunity, but his shot would slightly miss to the right.
Two more behinds to Harcourt meant they would hold on by two points. Riely Thiesz was influential to the Lions’ comeback, as was Chris McLean, Kaleb McBride, Jacob Ede, Joshua Hogg and Gartside, with Gurd kicking three goals.
It was the one that got away from Trentham, but they’ll also know their best football over the first three quarters well and truly stacks up.
Kelly and Cowan were their best, with Ferrier, Joel Dovaston, Harrison Knight and Keogh also named in the best, with Regan and Keogh kicking three each.