A close-up view by DMac
An under strength New England Nomads have suffered a devastating loss against the Tamworth Kangaroos at Bellevue Oval. The lead changed frequently throughout the game with the Kangaroos ahead by one point as the final siren sounded.

The Nomads began the game strongly continuing the physical style that saw success at the Tablelands Cup in March. At quarter time the game was even largely due to Kangaroo inaccuracy in front of the goals, with the Nomads improving to a narrow half time lead.

The second half was marred by an ugly and controversial incident with the game in the balance. When a Nomads’ player received an unprovoked Rugby League style “grapple tackle” nearby team mates came to his aid, attempting to remove the Tamworth player’s arm from its chokehold. The entire bench of the Tamworth Kangaroos swarmed onto the field, sensing an ensuing melee and all were subsequently banned from any further participation in the game. For the remainder of the quarter the Roos laid siege to the Nomads goals, the desperation, determination and the experience of defenders Neil Cupples, Mark Curran and re-appointed Captain Glen Northway keeping the Nomads’ noses ahead at the final change.

The final quarter continued the see-sawing battle as fatigue and injuries took their toll on the Nomads. The previous accuracy in front of goal deserted the forward line who felt the pressure to manage one goal and six behinds for the quarter despite several set shots. In the end even the vocal crowd couldn’t lift the Nomads as they ran out of time.

There were several positives for the Nomads, usually struggling for numbers during University holidays, including the first league game of new recruit Josh Keogh. Other Nomads shone in new positions such as Dylan McGrath at full-forward and both Anthony Reid and Weston Whitby as followers. Extended gratitude should be given to several players who answered a desperate call for players given short numbers, two of whom drove long distances before the game.

Next week sees the Nomads travel to Inverell to tackle the Saints who enjoyed a large win on Saturday and will no doubt seek revenge for their loss to the Nomads in the 2008 Tablelands Cup.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 14th, 2008 at 2:33 pm and is filed under Match report. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.