Lauderdale given perfect tune-up for State League semi-final with hard fought victory against Tigers

Lauderdale will head into next week’s TSL finals with positive momentum after finding a way past Tigers, despite being outplayed for large portions of the contest.

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THERE was little on the line for Lauderdale in the last round of the TSL but the Bombers were given a solid finals tune-up against a gallant Tigers.

Needing to win to keep their own finals aspirations alive, the Tigers controlled the clash at SkyBus Oval for three and a half quarters, only to be overrun by four points.

Having locked in third spot — and a semi-final showdown against Launceston at Windsor Park — two weeks ago, the Bombers ensured they would enter another finals campaign on a positive note with an 8.14 (62) to 8.10 (58) victory.

Football. TSL. Lauderdale V Tigers. Nathan Oakes (Lauderdale) under pressure from Tiger Marcus Gardner. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

But arguably more importantly, they were made to grind for the result after only hitting the front for the first time midway through the last term and holding on in greasy conditions.

The visitors started like a team on a mission, booting the opening two goals of the contest and three of the first four in an entertaining opening stanza which yielded seven goals in total.

But when the drizzle set in the match became a much tighter slog as the two sides traded blows.

The Tigers added a couple of points to their halftime margin and again stretched it slightly at the last change, with the hosts given a momentum boost by a goal after the siren to the impressive Harry Richmond.

Benjamin Donnelly tackles Joshua Williams (Lauderdale) in the TSL clash between Lauderdale V Tigers Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

An eight-minute stalemate in the last quarter was broken when Josh McGuinness found himself in space 20m out directly in front, and when Richmond booted his fourth three minutes later he put his side in the positive for the first time — a position they would hold until the final siren.

“It is a hard game to go into, you go in with a clear focus but the focus for the players is probably to get through without getting injured,” Bombers coach Darren Winter said.

“They have their eye on the week after, so it is hard and sometimes when it is like that it is hard to get any sort of good play or systems going.

“We looked a big sluggish at times, the Tigers had everything to play for. We had to fight it out to the last minute to get the win.

“Having a win is much better than going into the first final with a loss, and they had to tough it out.”

The sour note to the win was a concussion to Will Francis, which will leave him in doubt for the semi-final.

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