North Heidelberg springs a shock to end neighbour Heidelberg’s finals hopes in Northern Football League

NORTH Heidelberg stunned local rival Heidelberg in the last quarter of Saturday’s Northern Football League clash to ensure the Tigers will miss finals for the first time since 2003.

s08hb203 NFL Div 1 (footy): Heidelberg v nth Heidelberg( in yellow and black ) 3 Jake Brown for nth Heidelberg is tackled by Mattt Pianto for Heidelberg. Pictures:Stuart Milligan

IT HAS been a slog of a season for North Heidelberg but it could scarcely have scripted a better consolation win than Saturday’s effort.

A last-ditch goal sealed a two-point comeback win that ended the finals hopes of rival Heidelberg at Warringal Park.

Leigh Bentley sneaked forward to slot it. If it was a shock to the Tigers’ system it was also in keeping with the way they have frittered away a finals place.

Six losses in a row have dropped them from third to seventh. It is the first time they will not play finals since 2003.

None of which is the concern of Bulldogs coach Stephen Saddington. No one at North can quibble with its ladder position but one win prior to Saturday was an unfair reflection of their toil.

“In seven games we’ve been within a goal coming up to three-quarter time and we’ve just never got our noses in front,” he said.

Saturday was on-script, the Tigers 10-15 points ahead at every change.

But instead of folding, the Bulldogs kicked five goals to three in the last. Such a win can soothe even the pain of relegation.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Saddington said. “We spoke before the game about how we’d put in so much work for such little reward.”

Shane Harvey has too often carried a lone torch with his ultra-accurate kicking. On Saturday he had a rare off day with 2.5.

But the Bulldogs had an array of kings instead of a sole ace.

Teenager Jack Jones took “15 or 16 marks” at half-forward, Mike Florence had a big game in the ruck in his first year of competitive footy, Aidan Buchanan put his shoulder to the wheel and Leigh Gilbert won a string of clearances.

Saddington said that with “80 per cent” of the squad recommitted for 2016, the win could be a springboard.

“It won’t be easy, but the goal is to come straight back up,” he said. “Wins like this give us belief.”