Rick Drewer

PLAYED in front of a surprisingly small crowd, the Barossa Light & Gawler Football Association’s A-grade preliminary final between the South Gawler Lions and the Angaston Panthers at Freeling Oval proved to be a hard-fought and entertaining encounter.

At the end of the day it was the Lions who earned the right to face up to the red-hot favourites, Gawler Central, in next week's grand final with a well-deserved 19-point victory 13.11 (89) to 10.10 (70).

It was a fiery opening with both sides applying great pressure, resulting in many early scrimmages and ball-ups with clearances hard to win.

Then, seven minutes in, Steve Summerton gathered off-hands and snapped truly to give Angaston the opening goal, despite heading into the wind.

This seemed to ignite the Lions who replied moments later when, from a throw-in, Dan Goulding gathered and goaled.

Spurred on, Pat White goaled as a result of a centre clearance, before Nathan Bartsch's excellent handball found Goulding for his second and the Lions were away!

Bartsch then got one for himself before Jaden Gurney finished off the quarter with a major, converting as a result of a free-kick. Angaston hardly touched the ball in the ten minutes leading up to quarter time.

The Lions dominated; they looked cleaner, won the clearances and used the ball far better than Ango.

Despite heading with the wind in the second, Matt Blenkiron’s snap from a boundary throw-in two minutes in was the Panthers’ only goal for the term, with a number of wasted opportunities really hurting.

Meanwhile, Jackson Press made the most of a free-kick, and Jordan Tippins, on the end of an excellent ball from Bailey Fielke, converted for the Lions to actually win the term by two-points. South's defence, led by Darcy Judd-Smith, with able assistance from the likes of Clayton Cameron, Jackson Dare and Bailey Zobel was as solid as a rock.

Angaston's cause was not helped when heading down-wind in the third term, as South registered the first three-goals scored, courtesy of some undisciplined football.

Two advantage-free kicks and conversions from Johannes Smit and a third to Jacob Ahern, half-way through the term, put the Lions up by 45-points.

Angaston playing-coach Jay Shannon restored some hope for his side with two late goals to go to the final break trailing by 33 points.

With nothing to lose, to the Panthers’ credit, they gave it a real crack in the final term scoring goals from Dylan Tuckwell and Jay Shannon, again, within the opening six-minutes in an attempt to make things interesting.

But South Gawler always had an answer, with Goulding steadying things down with a goal for the Lions moments later.

However, Angaston wouldn't go away and, aided by a late hat-trick from Alex Reincke, got itself back to within a two-goal margin at the 26-minute mark.

Surely they couldn't snatch victory?

Bartsch's soccered goal right on the siren guaranteed victory, as Angaston attacked again.

Too late!