SAINTS OUT, BUFFS SHOCK CROCS TO REACH GRAND FINAL >> SPORT
Nightcliff too good for Saints
After going in to half-time trailing by six points, Nightcliff coach Chris Baksh said things finally started to click for the Tigers in the third stanza.
“In the third quarter we were switched on and everyone was playing their roles,” he told the Sunday Territorian.
“Our midfield really lifted and set it up, they adapted very well.”
St Mary’s looked to be the more dominant side in the opening stages of the match, going into quarter-time with a 14-point lead.
The Green Machine should have been leading by more but could not convert some early opportunities.
Nightcliff worked its way into the match in the second term, absorbing Saints’ pressure expertly and cutting the margin to one straight kick at the long break.
The Tigers turned on the afterburners in what is known as the premiership quarter, with Niki and Emery running riot to finish with two goals each for the term.
Saints coach Rick Nolan lamented his side’s inability to go with Nightcliff when the match was on the line.
“The third quarter absolutely killed us, seven goals to nothing, we got killed in the middle,” he said.
“We had a shocker in that quarter.
“I’ve never seen us not keep our feet so much in a game.
“We just went to ground so many times, we were really poor in that area.”
Despite trailing by 38 points at three-quarter time, St Mary’s fought back slightly in the last term, kicking four goals to three.
But ultimately, the reigning premiers left themselves with too much to do.
Baksh said the Tigers will now turn their focus to the preliminary final next, where
they will face Southern Districts following the Crocs’ shock loss to Buffaloes last night.
“We don’t care who we play, we just want to control what we can,” he said.
“We focus straight on for next week now.
“Everyone has pulled up well so we should take in pretty much an unchanged side.”