Seven wins on the trot for Tigers Fast start turns into arm wrestle
NIGHTCLIFF extended its winning streak to seven matches yesterday, proving 20 points too strong for St Mary’s despite not scoring in the second term.
The 12.3 (75) to 8.7 (55) victory came despite a four-point lead for St Mary’s at the main break, which followed an intriguing first half at TIO Stadium.
The Tigers came out of the blocks on fire, kicking seven goals to Saints’ one in the first term, with Trent Melville and Simon Deery bagging two each. Cam Ilett found a lot of the football, as did Brodie Filo, but that stopped after the first break.
The momentum completely shifted Saints’ way. Shaun Edwards led the charge, kicking three straight majors to open the quarter, with Raph Clarke his partner in crime. Mathias Liddy came into the game inside forward 50 as Nathaniel Paredes found the football in the middle.
But the see-sawing nature of the opening two quarters was contrasted by a second half arm wrestle.
Nightcliff thwarted Saints’ ascendancy, as Ilett and Filo again took control. Kaine Riley was also super in a defensive role, with St Mary’s kept goalless in the third term.
Phillip Wills and Liam Holt-Fitz notched majors for the Tigers to give them an eight-point lead at the final change, which was extended by another major to Wills early in the fourth quarter.
Saints responded through a Francis Kinthari goal, but Nightcliff quickly regained control to professionally close out the match, with skipper Nathan Brown leading from the backline. GOALS