Leps’ ladder hope
WITH a bye next Saturday and two tough games coming up, Innisfail Leprechauns A grade coach Leon Hallie will be keeping a very close eye on the CDRL ladder in the next few weeks. With only three rounds of the regular season left, Saturday’s 34-10 win against the Yarrabah Seahawks put the Leps in third spot with 21 points, two points ahead of Mossman Port Douglas. Staying in the top three will give the Leps a lifeline in the finals series if they lose an early game, but Mossman, and Tully in fifth spot with 18 points, are breathing down their necks. Hallie said the bye next week meant it was important for the Leps to beat Yarrabah by a big points margin. “We tried to get a bit of a margin that gives us, I think, 50 for and against better than Mossman,” he said.
New format success
INNISFAIL United’s Premier women’s team will be shaking up their play for the last five games of the season. The young team trialled a new format of play at Castor Park on Saturday which proved successful, with the Cutters repeatedly putting the ball in the back of the net to beat the Stratford Dolphins 6-1. Coach Amber Overton said they tried something new after losing key players Jordyn Howell, who is overseas, and Tracee Harris, who is injured. “The midfield has changed, so it’s a bit different than they are used to,” she said. “We tried a new formation and although it took a little while to get used to it, I think it might have helped us a little bit.”
Sharks’ solid wins
THERE’S a good feeling around the Mossman Sharks club, as both the seniors and reserves posted solid wins at the weekend that endorse the club’s best showing in years as the finals loom. The seniors dispatched Ivanhoes 19-14, while the reserves ran out their match with a whopping 44-14 total. The Sharks were coming off a bye and it showed with the seniors, according to coach Jason Chilman. “We were very slow out of the blocks. To be expected after a week off but then we got in with a grind against them, and I’m really pleased about that. “Because Ivanhoes came out strongly, they were playing for their season, full credit to them, they came out and played some really good football.”
Apprentice shines
APPRENTICE Rachel Shred claimed the riding honours at Saturday’s Bowen meeting with a winning double. The 2kg claimer produced a gem of a ride to guide Hungry Horse home for Mareeba trainer Leanne Ashford. Hungry Horse ($8) had been racing well without quite landing a telling blow in the Far North, but displayed tenacity by holding off a pair of home track gallopers Premiere Place and He’s Terryfied. Riding Doubleo Ci, Shred kicked up to take the lead after Prince Of Mine was the best away from the gates. It proved a winning move in the Lehmann Print Solutions Maiden (1280m).