Above: Noble Park players leave the ground to lick their wounds after a poor performance in Saturday’s second semi-final.By Marc McGowan
NOBLE Park has been forced to go for the grand final the hard way, after losing by 36 points to a determined Vermont in the Eastern Football League Division One second semi-final at Bayswater Oval on Saturday.
The Bulls went through the home-and-away season with just one defeat – to Vermont in round 16 – and again found the Eagles a tough proposition.
Both teams came out blazing, with Vermont holding a slender one-goal lead at quarter-time, courtesy of a seven-goal-to-six opening term.
Not to be outdone, Noble Park grabbed the advantage in the second period but failed to capitalise on its chances in front of goal.
The Bulls kicked 5.7, and, despite their dominance, the half-time scores were tied.
“That hurts you when you don’t take your opportunities,” Bulls playing coach Shane Burgmann said.
The top-of-the-ladder showdown was living up to its pre-match billing and it continued in the same vein in the third quarter.
The Eagles’ four goals for the quarter restored their one-goal break at the three-quarter time siren and all signs pointed to a titanic struggle in the final stanza.
But it was not to be as Vermont ramped up its play and Noble Park wilted under the constant pressure. A six-goal-to-one final quarter provided the final result.
“They made the most of their opportunities,” Burgmann said.
The loss was nowhere near as bad as that at the teams’ previous encounter, which resulted in a thumping 88-point win to the Eagles.
“There was a lot more at stake this time,” Burgmann said. “Our blokes just came switched on and ready to play.”
He would not be drawn on a grand final rematch and said he preferred to focus on this week’s preliminary final match-up with first semi-final winners East Ringwood.
“We just have to fire up again,” he said. “They have plenty of run and even though we beat them pretty easily last time, the first time we played them we only ran away with it in the last quarter.”
