Palmerston trump Buffs under lights

PALMERSTON survived a close encounter with Buffaloes by 15 points in Saturday night’s NTFL battle at TIO Stadium

PALMERSTON survived a close encounter with Buffaloes by 15 points in Saturday night’s NTFL battle at TIO Stadium

Little separated the two bottom-placed sides all night in a see-sawing encounter, but it was the Pies who made the most of their chances late to win 11.10 (76) to 8.13 (61).

 The Buffs led by a goal at the first change when Matthew Campbell and Dylan Gordon scored two goals late in the term to give their side an early advantage.

 But the Pies kept Buffs goalless in the second while finding three of their own, before an even third term saw Palmerston head into the last quarter 12 points clear.

 Both sides struggled to find the killer blow in the last and it took 12 minutes for Jack Shannahan to boot his third goal to put the Buffaloes on the ropes.

 Tim Eldridge got the Buffs back into the contest with a 50m goal minutes later, but it was Alwyn Davey’s third at the 19-minute mark that sealed the result.

 The win lifts the Pies into sixth place on the ladder and only four points behind Waratahs in fifth, with a clash against second-placed Wanderers to come next week.