The Macksville Sea Eagles first- grade squad won the right to play on in this season’s VB Gold Cup Group 2 final series last Saturday at Allan Gillett Oval, when they defeated the Nambucca Heads Roosters 30-28 in a hard fought game.
With the attraction of a local derby, enhanced by the sudden death nature of this meeting, the preliminary semi-final attracted a bigger crowd than has been seen at one of these Saturday games for many seasons, and both teams rose to the occasion to provide a great spectacle.
The opening 10 minutes of the match saw both teams trying to exert their dominance, but strong defence kept each other from crossing the line, until Macksville’s Luke Cartwright burst through the Nambucca line.
Cartwright raced through the Rooster’s defence for 30 metres before finding Adam Dixon backing up out wide to run 40 metres to score in the corner. David Pickvance converted the try from the sideline and the Eagles lead 6-0.
The Eagles were the next to score, again from another long range try, this time beginning with Tyler Searle crashing through tackles and making a long break. As the cover came to stop Searle, he found Jesse McEwen backing up inside, then McEwen sent a long pass to Will Ghilotti, who raced in to score under the posts. Again Pickvance converted and the Eagles lead 12-0.
While the Eagles looked set to dominate the Roosters were not prepared to surrender and a try from Warwick Jones and a conversion from Michael Ronan the score line read Macksville 12, Nambucca 6.
The Eagles struck back in style, however, and again it was on the back of a big break by Cartwright, who was brought down ten metres from the line.
From the play the ball Grant Collison stepped to the left and sent a good pass to Edgar Cowell who accelerated through two defenders and then sent the ball to Ghilotti, who crashed over in the corner to see the Eagles lead 16-6 at the break.
Nambucca were the first to cross in the second-half, when Paul Donovan ran in a well deserved try to reduce the Eagles lead to 16-10, but again the Eagles were quick to strike back.
With the Roosters attacking 20 metres from the line they chipped ahead only to see the ball go straight to McEwen, who raced eighty metres to score. Pickvance converted and the Eagles lead 22-10.
The Eagles went further ahead soon after when their forwards, combined with some great short passing from Collison to Searle and Grant Coleman, who then sent Cartwright on a run to the line to score a well deserved try. Pickvance converted and the Eagles lead 28-10.
Whether the Eagles relaxed or put themselves under pressure they struggled to control the ball from that point, and two quick tries to Jones and Taylor Hamilton-Giggins, both converted by Ronan saw them reduce the eagles lead to 28-22.
With about 15 minutes to go Pickvance put the Eagles eight points clear with a penalty goal 30 metres out, but again the Roosters struck back, this time with a try to Jason Jarrett which Ronan again converted to see the Eagles lead 30-28 with 10 minutes to go.
That final 10 minutes saw the Roosters put the Eagles under almost constant pressure, but the Eagles held solid, and the final bell saw the Eagles continue on to next Saturday’s clash with Sawtell at Rex Hardaker Oval.
The Macksville reserve-grade side did not meet with the success of the firsts, going down to the Mustangs by 33-24 on Sunday at Rex Hardaker Oval.
The Eagles started well, with Curtley Kelly crossing early in the game, but the Mustangs struck back soon after. Midway through the second-half the Mustangs went on a scoring blitz that saw them extend their lead from 18-16 to 30-24.
The Eagles struck back with a second try to Grace and another try to Lance Dixon, to see the Mustangs lead 32-24.
A late field goal saw them take out the game 33-24. The reserves will now travel to Rex Hardaker Oval again on Saturday, to take on the Orara Valley Axemen.
Memebrs have the opportunity to participate in a responsible service of alcohol programme at half the regular price.
Anyone interested in doing this course should contact the committee.
Email a friend