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From Belrose Website:
Grand Final Match Report
The Belrose Eagles overcame a ten point deficit midway through the second half to claim the True Blue Chemicals Sydney Shield with a 30-26 Grand Final victory over Wentworthville at St Marys Leagues Stadium on Saturday.
Given little has separated the sides all season, it was no surprise to see the scores locked at 16 all at halftime. Wenty skipper and half-back James Boustani took the game by the scruff of the neck immediately after the break scoring a try and laying on another for second-rower Brad Partington giving his side a decisive ten point advantage at the 52nd minute mark.
With 23 minutes remaining and still ten in front, Wenty looked headed for an upset victory over the Minor Premiers. However, a Wenty lost ball inside their own twenty-metre line was all Belrose needed to regain momentum and they rattled off three tries in a scintillating sixteen minute period to hit the front 30-26 with seven minutes remaining.
Replacement forward Joe Napoletano powered over in the left corner in the 57th minute narrowing Wenty’s lead to 26-20. Boustani’s re-start sailed out on the full and the Eagles continued to attack through repeat sets. A well-constructed run-around move ended with Santana Palmer stretching out to score adjacent to the left post which captain-coach James Mortimer converted to level the scores at 26 all.
The Magpies looked like regaining the lead as they attacked from close range in the final eight minutes only to be tackled on the last play. From the ensuing turnover Belrose worked their way up field and Napoletano broke clear from halfway before sending winger Lee Cameron away on a twenty metre dash to the left corner for the premiership winning try.
Belrose started the game on the front foot scoring the opening two tries to establish a 10-0 lead after thirteen minutes. Former Manly Sea Eagles players Jason Wells and Jimmy Curtis combined in the fourth minute when five-eighth Wells drifted left before putting the big prop though a gap to muscle over close to the posts. An Alex Bate bust off a clever Dean McGlinchey pass led to the next try when half-back Taylor Matthews put centre Christian Bate over in the right corner.
Wenty levelled at 10 all scoring back-to-back tries in the 18th and 28th minutes to wrecking-ball centre Junior Rika and fleet-footed five-eighth Mark Russell.
The sides exchanged tries leading into halftime, Belrose scored the first through winger Luke Alder who finished a backline spread in the right corner before Russell levelled the scores on the bell showing a clean pair of heals to outpace fullback Mortimer for his second of the match.
The nail biting victory completed a perfect return for Belrose in their first year back in the competition which was sweetened when hooker David Marando was awarded the man of the match for orchestrating much of the Eagles attacking raids with smart work from dummy-half.
Belrose Eagles 30 (J Curtis, C Bate, L Alder, J Napoletano, S Palmer, L Cameron tries; J Mortimer 3 goals) def.Wentworthville Magpies 26 (M Russell 2, J Rika, J Boustani, B Partington tries; J Boustani 3 goals).
Grand Final Match Report
The Belrose Eagles overcame a ten point deficit midway through the second half to claim the True Blue Chemicals Sydney Shield with a 30-26 Grand Final victory over Wentworthville at St Marys Leagues Stadium on Saturday.
Given little has separated the sides all season, it was no surprise to see the scores locked at 16 all at halftime. Wenty skipper and half-back James Boustani took the game by the scruff of the neck immediately after the break scoring a try and laying on another for second-rower Brad Partington giving his side a decisive ten point advantage at the 52nd minute mark.
With 23 minutes remaining and still ten in front, Wenty looked headed for an upset victory over the Minor Premiers. However, a Wenty lost ball inside their own twenty-metre line was all Belrose needed to regain momentum and they rattled off three tries in a scintillating sixteen minute period to hit the front 30-26 with seven minutes remaining.
Replacement forward Joe Napoletano powered over in the left corner in the 57th minute narrowing Wenty’s lead to 26-20. Boustani’s re-start sailed out on the full and the Eagles continued to attack through repeat sets. A well-constructed run-around move ended with Santana Palmer stretching out to score adjacent to the left post which captain-coach James Mortimer converted to level the scores at 26 all.
The Magpies looked like regaining the lead as they attacked from close range in the final eight minutes only to be tackled on the last play. From the ensuing turnover Belrose worked their way up field and Napoletano broke clear from halfway before sending winger Lee Cameron away on a twenty metre dash to the left corner for the premiership winning try.
Belrose started the game on the front foot scoring the opening two tries to establish a 10-0 lead after thirteen minutes. Former Manly Sea Eagles players Jason Wells and Jimmy Curtis combined in the fourth minute when five-eighth Wells drifted left before putting the big prop though a gap to muscle over close to the posts. An Alex Bate bust off a clever Dean McGlinchey pass led to the next try when half-back Taylor Matthews put centre Christian Bate over in the right corner.
Wenty levelled at 10 all scoring back-to-back tries in the 18th and 28th minutes to wrecking-ball centre Junior Rika and fleet-footed five-eighth Mark Russell.
The sides exchanged tries leading into halftime, Belrose scored the first through winger Luke Alder who finished a backline spread in the right corner before Russell levelled the scores on the bell showing a clean pair of heals to outpace fullback Mortimer for his second of the match.
The nail biting victory completed a perfect return for Belrose in their first year back in the competition which was sweetened when hooker David Marando was awarded the man of the match for orchestrating much of the Eagles attacking raids with smart work from dummy-half.
Belrose Eagles 30 (J Curtis, C Bate, L Alder, J Napoletano, S Palmer, L Cameron tries; J Mortimer 3 goals) def.Wentworthville Magpies 26 (M Russell 2, J Rika, J Boustani, B Partington tries; J Boustani 3 goals).
