Finding form at home a must
LABRADOR will head home for the first time this season searching for answers after Brisbane Hockey League frontrunners Commercial exposed their offensive deficiencies at Chermside.
Playing their fifth straight game on the road, the Tigerstix slumped to a 5-1 loss on Saturday to the unbeaten Cobras after failing to make their most of their early opportunities.
The visitors trailed 2-1 heading into the last quarter following a second-quarter equaliser from Blake Wotherspoon, but the floodgates opened in the final term when Dylan Wotherspoon was handed a yellow card.
Despite picking up three wins from the first five rounds, Labrador coach Darren Fowler said the defeat had underlined his side’s weakness in front of goal.
“We dominated in the first quarter, we would’ve had six circle possessions with no outcome so we just didn’t take our opportunities. The score probably wasn’t a reflection of how hard the game was but no excuses, you need to take your opportunities and we were poor,” he said.
“(Commercial) defended well but we were poor in front of the net and didn’t have any scoreboard pressure on them. They gradually worked their way into the game and they took their opportunities.
“They only had half as many circle penetrations as us but they capitalised by putting it in the net and we didn’t. And our good players were poor, which was disappointing.
“We had Dylan Wotherspoon back and he probably didn’t have his best game in front of the net, so that was disappointing but he wasn’t alone. Our senior group was poor.
“Commercial are on top of the ladder so we know where we’re at now. We’ve got to get a lot better to compete with those top sides and there’s not much rest now because we’ve got Easts this weekend at home so a real tough test.”
The 4pm grand final rematch with Easts will be Labrador’s first game at Keith Hunt Park this season.
“We’ve got five home games in a row, so we really want to capitalise on that and it should be a good crowd next Saturday as well, which is always good.”