Two Blues Brave Blizzard Conditions in Vain

Seniors: 

Bravery comes in many forms but the 44 players at Bren’s Oval on Saturday deserve a medal for duty under duress given the blizzard like conditions.

A blustery northerly wind and showers before and during the game made conditions difficult.  But nothing like the last quarter when the rain was so heavy players were impossible to distinguish and it was so dark the lights were turned on.

Luck always plays a part in the result when the ball is like a cake of soap and goals are like gold and it is fair to say the Two Blues were on the wrong end of conditions. Trailing by just 12 points at three quarter-time kicking towards the end favoured by a gale the Two Blues were on the cusp of an upset win. But when the heavens opened the torrential horizontal rain made scoring all but impossible. There were just three scoring shots for the term, points to Tim Maya and Jimmy Falcone and the sole goal from UHSVU. So often this season the Two Blues effort has not been translated into goals and so it was on Saturday. Try as they might the Two Blues just lacked polish around goals. For two quarters the Two Blues were goalless while UHSVU tellingly kicked at least a goal in each quarter. Attitude counts for double points on a day such as this and Tom Quinn was a perfect example. From the first contest he was frenetic in his attack on the ball and man, and his teammates took his example laying tackle after tackle. 

First quarter: Rain and a strong wind greeted players. Kicking against the breeze the Two Blues had more than their share of general play. A soccer goal from the hosts was the only goal of the game.

Second quarter: A long goal on the run from Jimmy Falcone gave the Two Blues the lead, 1-4 to 1-2. Against the run of play and into the wind UHSVU forward Nick Devereux kicked two telling goals into the wind.

Third quarter: A turning point came when Alex Simpson ran into what seemed an open goal 15 metres out when a UHSVU player appeared from nowhere for a smother. When UHSVU then took the ball the length of the ground for a goal it seemed it was game over. But a centre bounce clearance saw Will Bourne snap a quick reply. The hosts goaled again before Falcone passed to McGill who ran into an open goal to keep the game alive.

Fourth quarter: A free to Maya from 40m out resulted in a point. A long shot from Falcone was on target but touched on the goal line as the Two Blues threatened in atrocious conditions. But the final goal of the game went to UHSVS’s Devereux  into the howling gale.

Goals: Bourne, McGill, Falcone

Best: T Quinn, Simonetta, Musster, Falcone, W Brereton, Bourne

Reserves:

Goals: Dempsey, Bamford

Best: Webb, Graham, Leske, Jones, Garlick, Hall

Club XXIII:

Goals: Davis, Langford, Marshall, Bryant

Best: Marshall, Donaldson, Langford, Kelly, Berger, Bryant

Women's: