Balranald enters Saturday’s crucial clash with Woorinen full of confidence after accounting for a determined Tyntynder by 39-points at Greenham Park.
The home side couldn’t shake the plucky Bulldogs until the last quarter, where they slammed on five goals to one to secure a 19.11 (125) to 13.8 (86) win.
Tyntynder bounced back from a slow start, where they trailed by 16 points at quarter-time, to briefly take the lead in the third quarter.
But that moment served to shock the Roos out of their slumber as they clicked into gear and surged away to their sixth consecutive win.The Roos remain in third place but can go a long way towards securing the double chance with a win over second-placed Woorinen this weekend.
Roos coach Jydon Neagle said his team still had plenty of work to do in the lead up to finals.
“We knew Saturday was a bit of a danger game (against Tyntynder) because they had nothing to lose and for us, coming off the bye, we were cautious of starting slow,” Neagle said.
“We’ve been a bit slow following the byes and they came out and just played their brand of footy – they chipped it around and we were a bit slow on the defensive side of the game, so we had to clean that up.
“We let ourselves down with our discipline with a few down field free kicks, but when they (Tyntynder) passed the ball, they were hard to stop.
“We’d kick four of five goals and then they would answer because we’d take the foot off and let them back into the game.
“We were doing all the hard work but would let ourselves down with some sloppy errors – I’m glad it happened this week, because next week we’ll have to be switched on for all four quarters and not just half a game.”
Tyntynder’s effort and pressure around the footy was excellent, but their defence couldn’t contain Balranald spearhead Ben Fuller, who returned to form with eight goals to move to outright second on the league goalkicking ladder.
Fuller also had a hand in several other goals for his side, with Drew Lloyd and Jydon Neagle kicking three each.
“They (Tyntynder) certainly made us earn it, they moved the ball well and took their opportunities when they did and made it a bit of a scrap for us,” Neagle said.
“In the end, it was our big boys that stood up, ‘Benny’ (Fuller) kicking eight helped, but so too did our senior players standing up when the game was there to be won.
“Matt (Neagle), Ethan (Gant) and ‘Larry’ (Jordan Wilkins) in the ruck were all instrumental – I think we just had the calmer heads in the end.
“It was tight all day, but our fitness in the last quarter played a part as well.
“We just simplified things and got the ball going our way, Jack (Salau) and Jaxon (Neagle) down back were also huge in helping get us over the line – but take nothing away from Tyntynder though, they were red-hot.”
Young key defender Toby Lay also had a good day, doing a respectable job on Bulldogs forward Justin Ellis, who still managed three goals, along with Patrick Blake and Josh Dwyer.
Blake was his usual energetic self in the forward half for the Bulldogs, while Josh Stone Elia Ware, Matthew Gillbee and Harry Simpson were also among Tyntynder’s better players.
FINAL SIREN
| Balranald | 4.4 | 8.7 | 14.8 | 19.11 | 125 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyntynder | 2.- | 6.5 | 12.6 | 13.8 | 86 |
VOTES
3 – Ben Fuller (Balranald)
2 – Matthew Neagle (Balranald)
1 – Patrick Blake (Tyntynder)
