PLYMPTON SPORTING & RECREATION CLUB INC
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GRAND FINAL MATCH REPORT
PLYMPTON 15-6 96 DEF Salisbury West 8-17 65
YES, FINALLY A GRAND FINAL. After coming so frustratingly close over the last few seasons, for the first time in 19 years, Plympton A’s were contesting a Grand Final !The lead up to this eagerly awaited game saw the Bulldogs training both Tuesday and Thursday night, before a gathering of passionate supporters who had hungered for this moment for some time. The training on both nights was slick, intense and one could sense a single mindedness about the way the lads went about honing their skills for this, the biggest game of the season. Inside the clubrooms the band of dedicated girls were assembling a banner to honour the occasion. The atmosphere both on the oval and also inside was electric with a real buzz about it.Game day came and once again the weather was almost perfect, overcast with the forecast being some possible rain during the day, temperature around 16 degrees. The game was being held at Salisbury oval which is a big ground, almost round instead of oval so at least the cooler conditions would help the players.Plympton supporters started arriving early, some had chartered a bus, others by their own transport but certainly as game time drew near there was a sea of red and black supporters filing into the ground, taking up their vantage points for what promised to be an epic battle between two similar sides. The scene was set for an all out winner take all. Just before the game started there were a couple of light showers passing, so everyone was hoping that this would be the only rain for the afternoon. The game started with both sides showing their intent, Plympton Bulldogs started well, winning the ball out of the centre and going forward immediately. Salisbury West fought back and sent the ball moving towards their forward line, which had been manned up by Plympton playing great defensive team work.The umpires were letting the game flow so there were no easy kicks out there. Although the Bulldogs were winning the clearances, Salisbury West were certainly getting their share of the ball and were pounding it into their forward fifty.From the backlines forward, both sides attacked continually at goal, applying consistent pressure all over the ground. Scoring was at a premium with the Bulldogs getting the better of the two sides with less entries into our forward lines but certainly getting maximum points with fantastic accuracy at goal. Salisbury West on the other hand were bombarding their forward lines but the Plympton boys kept their composure and rebuffed attack after attack. The pressure applied resulted in many forward entries giving Salisbury little time to settle so points were becoming the order of the day for them.Quarter time the score was Plympton 5 Goals 1 points, to Salisbury West 2 goals 5 points.A great first quarter effort given that Salisbury had use of the wind but were kept at bay by the Bulldogs.The second quarter got under way and once again Plympton were up and about, with our attack on goal being right up there, putting pressure constantly on the Salisbury West backlines. Once again the finish from the Bulldogs was continuing on from the first quarter, with goals being shared around by the forward lines, accuracy in front of goal being spot on. The ball was being moved with precision giving the Bulldogs first look at it and creating mind pressure and unsettling Salisbury West big time. When they did manage to gain possession, such was the intensity shown by Plympton that the ball was constantly being run out of the Bulldog’s backlines with purpose and confidence, giving Salisbury no respite from the continued pressure being applied all over the ground. When they did manage to go into their forward lines they were always under the pump resulting in wayward kicking at goal. The quarter ran out with Salisbury being held goalless, managing only 5 points for the term to Plympton 4 goal 2. Half time score had Plympton 9 goal 3, Salisbury West 2 goal 10. Today the boys had their kicking boots on as accuracy in front of goal was the best it had been for some time. A major plus was that Plympton had shared the goals around, taking the pressure of our three main goalkickers, at the same time confusing Salisbury who had worked their game plan around covering our normal focal point forwards. In contrast Salisbury were off target due in part to the continued pressure being applied by the Bulldogs and the sensational efforts of our backline players.The attitude in the room at the half time break was all positive with the players aware that they were only half way towards something special. Their confidence was certainly up but also the awareness that the third quarter would be the telling quarter to go on with the job. Salisbury West would come out with all guns blazing to try to get themselves back intothe contest. The third quarter started with Salisbury West showing their intent, attacking the player and the ball with far greater pressure than the previous quarters. Suddenly the mood of the game started to swing with the Bulldogs having to withstand this renewed pressure for the first time in the game. Salisbury were starting to get their running game going and although theclearances around the ground were about even, their movement into the forward line started to come to life with the Bulldogs facing up to an all out pounding in the back lines. Salisbury knew it was do or die as they had to make use of what wind was favouring the end they were kicking to, to get some of their free flowing game going to have any hope in the last quarter.Not to be denied, after the initial onslaught the Plympton Bulldogs slowed the tempo of the game down to regain some composure to bring the game back to an even keel. The quarter was very similar to the first whereby Salisbury peppered their goals but once again both the applied pressure from Plympton plus their inaccuracy letting them down.The quarter wound down with Salisbury reducing the margin back to a gettable 13 points, having 10 scoring shots to Plympton’s 3.Three quarter time score, Plympton 11 goal 4, Salisbury West 7 goal 15. Both sides went into the three quarter time break knowing that this game was far from over. The last quarter was promising to live up to all the hype that had been predicted in the weeks leading up to the Grand Final. Salisbury West believing that having the weeks rest would get them over the line by being fresher, while Plympton Bulldogs belief in each other and notdoubting for a minute that they would run the game out better by being match hardened and fitter.All was in readiness for the final quarter, which team would emerge as the 2011 Premiers ?Game on and straight away an arm wrestle began as both sides tried to forge that breakaway to get the upper hand. First it was Salisbury with the ball then Plympton as the game stepped up to a new level. This was going to go down to the wire or last man standing, such was the pressure out on the ground ! The all important clearances were being shared fairly evenly so it would come down to who used the ball better into attack and which side could go the distance and maintain their composure. Minute by minute the Bulldogs were attacking everything coming their way and suddenly a quick couple of goals gave them a bit of breathing space, while at the same time it started to deflate the vigour that Salisbury had shown for much of the last half. This lift combined with the adrenalin rush by the Bulldogs gave them the belief that this game was rightfully theirs and nothing was going to stop them from achieving what many thought some weeks ago was a distant dream. The players kept focussed on the job at hand, still attacking the goals and adding another couple while keeping the opposition to 1 goal 2 for the quarter. To the players, supporters and coaching staff,the last quarter seemed to go for an eternity, everyone willing for the final siren to go !Finally, the siren sounded and there was an enormous stampede of supporters rushing on to the ground to share in the jubilation by all the Plympton faithful, who had supported the Bulldogs through the good and bad times.To everyone involved on this day it was absolutely sensational and just reward for what had been a very interesting season.At last, the missing link had been found, a PLYMPTON BULLDOG “A†GRADE PREMIERSHIP, the first in 22 years ! At the final siren the scoreboard read, Plympton Bulldogs 15 goal 6 to Salisbury West 8 goal 17, a margin of 31 points.Best Players: A complete team effort, no passengers, all played well as demonstrated by having 9 individual goal kickers.Goal Kickers: Jason Kennewell 4, James Vanderhaak 3, Heath Deer 2, one each to Craig Lange , Jimmy Smith , Tim Dunkley, Daniel Roach, Kolbi Whittaker, Giorgio Kastrappi.The celebrations had begun, it will be a BIG night back at the Club for sure. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL INVOLVED. GO YOU BULLDOGS ! Cheers,Worts.
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