Tigers cling to a win

MIRBOO North defiantly held Stony Creek at bay in a tense last quarter, to sneak home by seven points at Tigerland on Saturday.

Mirboo North now has four wins for the season and sits in seventh spot on the Mid Gippsland ladder, below Newborough on percentage.

A highlight of the match was Mirboo North teenager, Jonathon Conlan, booting the opening goal with his first kick in senior footy and later following it up with two more majors. 

With the wind blowing hard towards the eastern end goalposts, the mighty Tigers had established a handy 27-point lead at the last change, after holding an eight-point advantage at half-time.

The unrelenting run and tackling pressure of Jesse Chila, Harry Mahoney, Archie Woodall and skipper Hudson Kerr were important reasons why Mirboo North was in a winning position at three-quarter time. 

Less than three minutes into the final term, Stony Creek secured two majors; then another goal at the seven-minute mark reduced the Lions’ deficit to nine points.

For the remaining 19 minutes, Mirboo North restricted Stony Creek to two behinds, as the visitors repeatedly pounded the ball into their forward 50.

Led by Rhys Kratzat, Beau Peters, Taj Wilkins and Jacob Blair in the back 50, the Tigers fought tooth and nail to time and time again block the Lions’ pathway to the big white sticks.

With Stony Creek doing most of the attacking, classy small forward, Zye Bergels-Brown – who finished with three majors in his first appearance for the Lions – was a constant threat to the Tigers.

Nathan Trotto, Jason Riley, Troy Sinclair and Hayden Bull were also relentlessly on the prowl for the visitors.

When Mirboo North warhorse, Josh Taylor, hobbled from the oval midway through the last quarter, it followed the loss of Doug Black to a leg injury during the third term.

Playing coach, Damien Turner, had successfully used Taylor at both ends of the ground, where he kicked two goals in the first quarter and provided steadiness and cohesion in defence, later in the contest.

Mirboo North now appeared ripe for the picking, but as the clock kept ticking towards full time, the desperate Tigers constantly stepped up to the mark.

Ethan Woodall’s high intercept grab across half back was one of a number of examples of Mirboo North’s solidarity under pressure.

With Mirboo North in full lock-down mode, the Sherrin rarely crossed into its forward half throughout the six-minute time-on period.

As the Lions’ frenzy to close the gap heightened, Mirboo North remained vigilant and refused to allow the floodgates to open.

When the final siren sounded, the battle had been won by the Tigers, with all of the Lions’ challenges overcome. 

This Saturday, Mirboo North has the bye, after which it travels to Morwell East on June 14, following the King’s Birthday holiday break.