Eastern Eyre Football League
A Grade
PORTS v CLEVE…After a quiet start Cleve comfortably defeated Ports by 34 points in the A Grade match played at Port Neill on Saturday.
Earlier Ports’ all-conquering B Grade recorded their third successive win, possibly for the first time in Arno Bay/Port Neill’s 20 year history. Smoke signals were lit to mark the occasion.
Ports drew first blood when Brad Masters kicked truly in the opening minutes of play. Play was tight as Cleve attacked for three misses before Sam Fauser goaled for the Magpies. Ports also missed several shots on goal. Many turnovers took place especially from Ports as they gained possession going forward but their kick or handball missed targets. Ports led 2.5 to 0.3 at the first change. Raikiwasa, Parker and Brad Masters had been doing well as had Sampson, Joel Nield and Travis George for the Bombers.
In the second term hard tackling was a feature of the game as both teams lifted their intensity. Wade Ramsey and Travis Bates combined to get the ball to Ben Lienert who goaled to put the home side three goals up. From the centre bounce a relayed free kick resulted in Sampson booting the Bombers first goal at the 10 minute mark. This sparked the visitors and Marshall and then Jason Perkins kicked truly to level the scores. Paul Bammann’s neat pass to Andy Claxton produced a goal and when Claxton kicked another Cleve had managed five unanswered goals in nine minutes. Jess Kenny and Evan Hunt were having a great duel on the wing. Strong work from Cade Hartwig from centre helped Miller goal to keep Ports in touch, but just before half time Allen’s pass to Kyle Jenner resulted in Cleve’s sixth goal to lead 6.6 to 4.6.
Saunders, Gillings, Perkins and Kenny were doing well as were Wade Ramsey, Cade Hartwig, Schubert and Hunt for Ports. The wind advantage was still with Ports in the third term but Kenny trapped the ball well and passed to Marshall who kicked Cleve’s seventh goal. Evan Hunt thumped the ball forward from the boundary line and Kalon Hartwig swooped on the loose ball to reduce the margin. However the visitors looked to have the answers as Donohue guided the ball in the path of Butterfield who made no mistake.
Good team play from defence to attack resulted in Luke Dohnt kicking a long goal for the Magpies but Perkins figured in a good passage of play to goal to give back a handy lead. Wade Ramsey had been a prominent player and from a free and resultant 50 metre penalty he drew Ports to within 10 points.
As happened in the previous quarter, Cleve goaled just moments before the siren, this one from Dylan Jenner to lead 10-6 to 7-8 at the last change.
Early in the final term Ports ever reliable Ash Lienert was tackled along the boundary and sustained a season-ending leg injury and was stretchered off.
This loss seemed to unsettled the home side as play became bottled up with Cleve comfortably three goals in front. At the 11 minute mark Kyle Jenner booted full points with further majors added by Marshall and Shannon whilst Ports could only manage two minor scores for the term. Ports’ finish was again unproductive as has been the case several times this season as the Bombers ran out victors 13-8 to 7-10.
Cleve were well served by Allen, Perkins, Kyle Jenner, Blake Nield, Kerrin Gillings and Saunders in defence. Ports’ better players were Wade Ramsey, Hunt, Justin Clements, Duffield, Cade Hartwig and Raikiwasa.
Cleve 13-8 (86) d Ports 7-10 (52)
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