St Bernards overcame a very determined St Bedes / Mentone Tigers line up to take the points at Brindisi Street on Saturday. A desperate Tigers team had some good inclusions before the game and this strengthened St Bedes / Mentone Tigers team was expected to be hard to toss on their home turf after a big win over De La in the previous round, but it was St Bernards who took the early initiative and with Andrew Merrington proving a handful for the Tiger’s defence the visitors shot out to 22 point lead at the first break.
The pattern continued into the second term and with Adam Bentick and Tom Sullivan having an influence and Merrington and Jones looking ominous St Bernards stretched the lead to 34 points before the Seniors pounced on a St Bernards turnover to keep the margin to 28 points at the main break.
In a complete turnaround from the first half, the third quarter was all St Bedes / Mentone Tigers as the home side lifted with Pat Tyquin, Tom Garside and Sam D’Andrea providing the run and Tim Doherty defending stoutly. In the Premiership quarter, the Tigers rammed on 5.7 while holding St Bernards to 1.2 and but for some inaccuracy the Tigers may well have taken more than the one point advantage it held into the last term.
The final term was a desperate affair with both sides hard at the footy. The Seniors threatened on several occasions but St Bernards defence held firm and with Chad Jones and Andrew Merrington providing the edge up forward St Bernards managed to stem the tide adding 2.5 to the Tigers 1.2 as St Bernards held sway to record a hard fought eight point win, against the young Tigers who with a bit more steadiness in front of goal should have and would have won the game.
In the Reserves St Bedes / Mentone Tigers had a sprinkling of senior players but top side St Bernards were expected to be far too strong for the eighth placed Tigers,
After an even first term where our development team signalled their commitment to the contest the Tigers took a five point lead into the second term and but for some good defensive work and some strong running from the Bernies the Tigers lead could have taken a bigger lead than the eleven point margin it held at the main break.
St Bernards opened the third term with three quick clearances to boot 2.1 in five minutes and snatch the lead, however, St Bedes / Mentone Tigers quickly countered with three majors before St Bernards added another. With the Tigers holding a three point margin at the last break the stage was set for an upset.
The final term saw St Bernards midfield finally overcome the Tigers pressure to consistently drive the ball forward and with a couple of strong marking targets up forward St Bernards opened up the Tigers defence to snatch a three goal break. St Bernards ran the game out strongly booting 4.4 to the Tigers 0.3 to register a hard fought 22 point win, none the less a very promising performance by the young Tiger Development side.