Defensive effort wins the day

Tyler Stanley was instrumental in Mount Burr's victory on the weekend, as he helped repel many inside 50 attacks from Tantanoola late in the game.

By Trevor Jackson

Mount Burr 6.9 (45) d Tantanoola 5.10 (40)

An even contest at Tantanoola was decided by less than a straight kick in Round 9 of Mid South East football on Saturday.

Mount Burr travelled to take on the Tigers and returned victorious, but only just.

Apart from the first quarter, the Mozzies had their noses in front at every break, with little in the contest all day.

Tantanoola held the advantage after the opening term, with an eight-point lead heading to the second quarter.

Mount Burr then turned the game around on the back of a stern talk from coach Reece Duncan.

“The wind was a bit of a factor but we were pretty flat the first quarter,” he said.

“I gave the boys a couple of colourful words at quarter time and it worked because the boys came out in the second quarter and pulled their fingers out a bit.”

The Mozzies claimed the lead off the back of three major scores, while holding the home side goal-less for the second quarter.

But far from being comfortable with the nine-point lead, Mount Burr was forced to play a tough defensive game, as the home side hit back and trailed by just two points at the final break.

Both sides could only kick one major score each in the final stanza, with the pressure building on the visitors as the home side continually pushed forward.

“In the last quarter it was pleasing our backline held up and repelled a lot,” Duncan said.

“There would have been 15 forward entries in the last five minutes for Tant and we were able to withstand them and came away with the win.”

The five-point victory was well-deserved after withstanding such a late barrage and Duncan noted a couple of names who stood tall.

“Consistent as ever, Sam and Josh Wallis were both instrumental,” he said.

“But in the last quarter Tyler Stanley did a lot.

“He took repetitive marks and got it out of the backline again and again.

“He snuck into the best players from what he did in that last quarter.”

Goals were certainly hard to come by and only Jack Gregory could kick more than one for the victors, with three to his name.

“It was a terrible day for goals,” Duncan said.

“We did miss a couple we should have slotted, which would have given us a bit more breathing room but we weren’t able to convert which was frustrating.”

It was a similar scenario for the Tigers, with Jack Dawe finding the going tough but he managed two majors to help keep his side in touch.

At the half-way mark of the season the Mozzies sit down in fifth spot on the ladder, just four points behind Robe.

For Duncan, there is no need to worry but a more consistent second half of the season is required.

“We are a game below Robe so we have to make that up somewhere and jump over them,” he said.

“We still have a way to go, so we just have to keep grinding it out.

“In the second half of the year we need need to win those games we lost during the first half and win a few more.”