Eastern Eyre Football
A Grade
PORTS v COWELL…After a competitive first half, Ports succumbed to Cowell by 107 points in the A Grade football clash at Port Neill on Saturday.
The oval and surroundings were well presented and whilst future sport at Port Neill remains uncertain, all involved should be proud of their efforts.
Umpires Lines and Churchett began the game in ideal weather and Cowell’s Mick Edwards register a major followed by two from Paul Franklin’s accurate boot.
Ports’ recalled veteran John Masters was enjoying a good start in ruck and his tap forward fell with Ben Lienert who passed to Ash Masters for Ports’ first.
Evan Hunt and Tom Davey combined for a goal from Jimmy Abdulla before Nick Gale’s long accurate pass landed with Franklin who kicked his third.
Play was fast and free flowing as Levi Bell passed to Abdulla for Ports’ third.
Wayne Piggot led the Cats well in defence as the visitors pressed hard the last few minutes for Paul Franklin to break free for two more, making his personal tally 5.2 to quarter time for Cowell to lead 6.6 to 3.3 in a fierce opening.
Ports’ Blake Chambers, Hunt and Brett Bray were all doing well.
Cade Hartwig marked early and goaled as the Magpies applied good pressure. Cowell’s John Hunt was a constructive player and with skill replied for the visitors.
Ash Masters was also having a good game and gathering the loose ball at half forward booted a long goal to keep Ports within touch. From the bounce, Tom Davey passed to Masters who obliged for his third and Ports’ acting coach Kalon Hartwig would have been encouraged with his team’s scoring.
After Steven Wildman goaled from a free kick, Ash Masters replied with his fourth to draw within 8 points at the 20 minute mark of the term.
Dale Peters was quietening down Paul Franklin and Evan Hunt busy in the centre.
Good work from John Hunt got the ball to Wildman for full points, a classy kick from the boundary, and Nathan Johnson’s snap soon after extended the margin.
Johnson’s centimetre-perfect pass handed Nick Franklin a goal and Hunt’s second goal lifted the visitors.
An accurate kick after the siren from Luke Malcolm left Ports trailing 8.4 to 12.11 at the main break. Mick Edwards, Kierran Fiegert, Piggot and Nick Franklin were all doing well for the Cats.
Rhett Sims scored within a minute of the resumption and defensive errors by the Magpies handed goals to Nathan Johnson and Nick Franklin.
Not to be denied, Ash Masters booted his fifth but Josh Siviour passed to Nick Franklin for another.
The Cats were peppering the goals and although off line at times, further majors to Hunt and Johnson, his third, had put the game firmly out of Ports’ reach by the halfway mark.
A rare entry forward resulted in Masters hitting the post but from the kick out Davey earned a free kick to put through Ports’ 10th.
Mick Edwards replied late in the term for Cowell to lead 19.16 to 10.5 at the last change. Ash Masters booted a long goal and it was pleasing to see his teammates encourage him.
However, Cowell dismissed any idea of relaxing on their lead as Nathan Johnson in particular maintained their intensity. Johnson showed his class with five goals in the final term and with Nick Franklin, who added two, helped the Cats to a ten goal last term.
In a free-flowing finish, Ports added four themselves but the final siren ended the scoring with Cowell finishing big winners, 29.22 to 14.5.
As usual, Cowell’s win was a team effort with many good players including John Hunt, Kierran Fiegert, Nick and Tyler Franklin, Wayne Piggot and Nathan Johnson with his 8 goals and others he handed out.
Ports’ best was clearly Ashley Masters, and Evan Hunt, John Masters, Blake Chambers, Dale Peters and Cade Hartwig were other players to do well.
Cowell 29-22 (196) d Ports 14-5 (89)
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