BRENDAN LINES
GAWLER Central is now one win away from the ultimate glory after it defeated Kapunda by 12 points in Saturday’s Barossa, Light & Gawler reserves football preliminary final.
After going six and two for the back-half of the minor round, the Tigers have carried on their winning ways with elimination, first semi-final and now preliminary final wins.
Cooling the jets on the fast-starting Bombers, who kicked five straight goals in the first, the Tigers’ formidable defence led by Kalon Heintze (14 disposals) shutdown everything before them, holding Kapunda goalless for most of the remaining three quarters.
It was a first-quarter blitz by the Bombers, with successive goals to Josh Slater, Wyatt Ryan, Bailey Jones, Josh Rosenzweig and Tristan Kerr.
Kapunda was winning the contest at every turn, as midfielders Bailey Jones (13 disposals) and Josh Slater (17 disposals) combined as the consistent ball winners who sent the Bombers inside 50 nine times to four in the first.
Yet the Tigers scratched their way back into the second quarter, with in-and-under efforts from Matthew Taylor-McDonald (12 disposals) turning the tide in the midfield.
Central’s efforts to hold the ball in their forward line for most of the second was plagued by inaccuracy, kicking seven behinds for the quarter, which allowed Kapunda to maintain a 20-point lead at half-time, but with no additional scoreboard pressure.
Corey Nesbitt’s (three goals) goal in the opening minutes of the third was followed up with a major to Paul Bova (three goals), which got the Tigers back into the hunt.
The pressure was on the Bombers as they gave a free-kick to Bova for holding, well within striking distance of the Tigers’ goal.
Bova kicked truly and put the Tigers in front for the first time at the 15-minute mark of the third.
The Tigers’ grip across defence put the squeeze on the Bombers, as Kalon Heintze’s three marks in defence nulled all three of Kapunda’s forward 50 entries for the quarter.
With their nose in front by just two points at the last change, the Tigers came out swinging with another goal to Nesbitt to kickoff the fourth.
Not to be outdone, Tiger Josh Edwards fired in goal-of-the-day, banging in a goal off a stoppage from 50 metres out.
Kapunda matched the Tigers in contested possessions 25 apiece in the last, but could only manage one to Ryan (two goals) in the closing minutes.
But the Tigers’ triumph was made complete as Bova slotted a third major, his 10th for this final series, to put the Tigers into the big dance.
For two weeks in a row the Tigers have held their opposition scoreless for over a half of footy, and coach Troy Ellbourn says defensive pressure has been the key.
“We’ve definitely been working in the back half of the year on our defensive pressure and setting up a bit of a zone as well on (opposition’s) kick outs, it’s just enabling us to hold the ball in our forward half a lot better than what we did in the first half of the year,” he said.
“To get here now is an absolute relief and I couldn’t be any happier.”
The Tigers will face Angaston for the reserves premiership.