The Wentworthville Magpies have put in a hard fought, valiant effort at GIO Stadium this afternoon, however, were unable to run down Mounties suffering a 18-14 defeat in their Round Five clash.
Some solid defensive sets and barnstorming runs from the forwards from both sides saw a real typical arm wrestle and softening up period to start the clash.
However the first points on the board came from Mounties fullback Zac Santo. The fullback loomed in support of half Lachlan Croker, who sliced through the Magpies middle forwards, drawing Scott Schulte in the back field and positioning Santo to cross over under the posts.
The try was converted by Isaac John as Mounties took a 6-0 lead.
The next 10 minutes of passage saw neither side looking to crack under pressure, and it was a hard collision that saw Jeff Robson reel from a tackle before he limped from the field in the 16th minute, to play no further part in the clash.
The reshuffled forward pack saw the bench reduced to three big men, and Mounties began to throw the football around and play plenty of second phase play.
A handful of offloads down the Magpies left edge, after opting to go down the short side, saw a bouncing grubber find it’s way over the line before Magnus Stromquist won the footrace to dive and plant it for a try to the right of the posts.
Mounties taking a 12 point lead in the 23rd minute.
The Magpies had a handful of attacking opportunities to put first points on the board but the home side defence held strong and diffused the Magpies attack on repeat efforts.
It took an individual effort from winger Bureta Faraimo in the 39th minute of the half, to put the Magpies first points on the board.
The winger scooted from inside his own 10m from dummy half, stepping the marker before brushing past the defence and running 95m winning the footrace to the line.
The conversion attempt from Jamal Fogarty was pushed wide, as the Magpies headed to the half time sheds trailing 12-4.
The second half saw both sides playing end to end football as Mounties looked to extend their lead whilst the Magpies looked to claw their way back into the clash.
With the Magpies on the attack, the ball found the ground and as Zac Santo scooped up the loose ball, the speedster looked certain to score his second try of the afternoon.
But Magpies fullback Scott Schulte turned in chase, before running down his opposite number to stop a try.
The effort was rewarded minutes later, when Magpies winger George Jennings went over down the opposite end.
The winger found himself with some space to move, after a Kirisome Auva’a offload, and after regathering his own grubber, the winger stepped the fullback to score under the posts in the 62nd minute.
However some luck fell the Mounties way, when they crossed three minutes later. A chip to the corner looked to be in the arms of the Magpies, but the ball bounced on it’s head and some collisions in the contest saw Magpies Eddie Aiono gather the ball and cross to the left of the posts for a converted try.
However the Magpies weren’t out of the fight, and after Troy Dargan forced a repeat set, it took a quick thinking Cody Nelson, who swung his way around to the short side, to offload to Jennings to dive over in the corner for his second of the afternoon, setting up a grandstand finish.
However despite a late scare with the Magpies rolling the dice on the last set of the game, Wentworthville were unable to break through the Mounties defence, going down 18-14.
Wentworthville Magpies 14 (Tries: Bureta Faraimo, George Jennings (2); Goals: Jamal Fogarty 1/3)
Def by
Mounties 18 (Tries: Zac Santo, Magnus Stromquist, Eddioe Aiono; Goals Isaac John 3/3)
