Pride in gallant defeat
Youthful Seagulls push rivals all the way only to suffer cruel late winner
TWEED Heads have been left heartbroken after the Northern Pride snatched an 18-16 win from the jaws of defeat at Piggabeen Sports Complex yesterday.
The Seagulls, fielding one of the most inexperienced Queensland Cup sides in recent memory, were in the box seat to pull off a remarkable win until a seismic momentum change late in the contest.
Using a licence to thrill, a Lindon McGrady chip kick put centre Regan Ogle-Muir into a two-on-one situation that could have stretched their lead to a decisive 16point margin with 10 minutes to go.
The only problem was makeshift Pride fullback Gideon Gela-Mosby managed to pluck an intercept out of thin air to race 80m and link with Shawn Bowen for effectively a 12-point turnaround.
Pride took the lead four minutes later when a kick deflection was turned into a Colin Wilkie try.
“You could see the momentum shift,” Tweed skipper Sam Meskell said of the intercept.
“They got some confidence out of it. Obviously before that, we had control of the game and we had two
blokes lining up there to go under the posts and they get a sniff and credit to them, they took it.”
Tweed had the chance to level the scores when awarded a penalty with 30 seconds left on the clock but mindful that only a win could lift them out of last place, the team
opted to go boom or bust. “Traditionally you would take the two and get the one point, the draw,” Meskell said.
“We don’t want the spoon so we had to roll the dice.”
That the Seagulls were even in a position to win was unexpected. Missing a plethora of forwards, Tweed had
little option but to pick just two big men on the bench.
Out of their selected 17, 13 have spent time in the Gold Coast Rugby League competition this season.
“They have shown they are up to it so we’ll be confident in whoever we take into next week,” Meskell said.
Tweed must win their last round match against leaders Papua New Guinea and hope Ipswich defeat Central Queensland to dodge the wooden spoon.
The Seagulls beat the Hunters in PNG in June.
“The boys are definitely hurting but they know it’s doable,” halfback Phoenix Hunapo-Nofoa said.
Burleigh meanwhile will return from a bye to finish their season against Easts on Saturday.