Battle of the Bridge
Five red cards and 10 yellows were dished out in this fiery local derby
Commonly known as the Battle of the Bridge, Foxton’s Premiers played Shannon at Easton Park on Saturday. In a nail-biting game which Shannon won by a slim margin, five red cards and 10 yellow cards were issued throughout the game.
The game started at a quick tempo with both teams making breaks from the wingers. The pace at which the game was played saw possession change constantly as the game seesawed up and down the field.
Shannon slotted a penalty and took an early lead to be up 3-0 at halftime.
Foxton coach Wayne Napier said: “We don’t have points on the board, however, our systems and pattern are all good.
“The set pieces and the scrums are all going well, and the key things, tackling and lineouts, are all good.
“We need to stay focused and keep the ball in hand. Stay closer into the wind, and keep up the physicality of the game,” Napier said.
Shannon coach Nathan Beuck said: “It’s great to be up three-nil into the wind, maintain possession, and take the opportunities as they arise.”
After the break things stayed the same with the territory even at times. Foxton managed a few breakouts occasionally, only to be let down by the odd mistake.
This resulted in Shannon slotting another penalty to extend their to 6-0.
Victory looked likely when in the 79th minute Foxton’s Connor Paki scored a try, which he also converted, to take the lead 7-6.
However, there was injury time still to be played.
This was when Shannon’s Aarana Murphy slotted a penalty to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, seeing Shannon winning 9-7 in a nailbiting finish.
Player of the day for Foxton was Massie Harvey with Aarana Murphy player of the day for Shannon.
During the after-match function, blazers were presented for two Foxton players, Connor Paki for playing his 25th game for the club and a milestone for his teammate and cousin, Dave McErlean, who played his 150th game for Foxton Premiers.
He was also presented with his jersey for that game earlier in the day by his father John and wife Karen, who also attended.