Townsville Bulletin

Missed kicks prove costly Lions let Bombers off hook

- ANDREW HAMILTON

BRISBANE will head into the bye lamenting another missed opportunit­y, this time caused by shocking goal kicking, after falling to Essendon by 22 points at the Gabba yesterday.

In a match that included a Harris Andrews masterclas­s in intercept marking and a brutal fronton collision between Luke Hodge and Dyson Heppell which left the Bombers skipper concussed, the lingering thoughts for Lions coach Chris Fagan will be poor kicking.

The weight of inside 50 entries for the Bombers suggest the 12.12 ( 84) to 8.14 ( 62) victory was well deserved, but the Lions once again had a chance to snatch the game in the final quarter.

Brisbane booted three straight goals either side of three quarter time to draw within 14 points but a shocking miss by Dan McStay, from about 20m out and almost dead in front became the classic 12- point play as the Bombers swept the ball the length of the field for Mitch Brown to goal and put an end to the streak.

Fagan admits he is a big be- liever in momentum in sports and rued the fact Brisbane let it go, saying the Bombers with a man down were susceptibl­e to being run over.

“At key moments in the game when we could have got the crowd more involved and people up and about, we missed critical set shots,’’ he said.

“I think we kicked 5.10 from set shots, and I reckon a few of those were regulation.

“I definitely believe in momentum in sport, it is a really important thing, and when you’ve got it you want to keep it and ride that wave as long as you can.”

Fagan likes to find positives and he needed to look no further than vice- captain Andrews, who gathered 24 possession­s and took 12 marks to stake another claim on his first all- Australian jumper.

“His last six weeks have been extraordin­ary,’’ he said. “His spoiling, his intercept marking, he played a sensationa­l game.’’

Heppell was clearly the best on ground at the moment he was crunched in a brutal front- on collision with Hodge in the second quarter.

 ?? HIGH HOPES: Eric Hipwood of the Lions ( top) contests the ball with Cale Hooker of the Bombers yesterday. ??
HIGH HOPES: Eric Hipwood of the Lions ( top) contests the ball with Cale Hooker of the Bombers yesterday.
 ?? Neale Daniher flanked by Pies coach Nathan Buckley and Demons coach Simon Goodwin. ??
Neale Daniher flanked by Pies coach Nathan Buckley and Demons coach Simon Goodwin.

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