Recap

Dirty Reds hit top form in 67-7 demolition of Gungahlin

By CHRIS GORDON

The Goulburn Dirty Reds first-grade side notched up their highest score of the season in a dominant 67-7 win over the Gungahlin Eagles at Nichols on Saturday.

With lots of good portents for the future, the team played with their best discipline and patience of the season, regaining the lead of the first-grade competition in the process.

Scoring at just under a point per minute, Goulburn held a clear dominance in the scrum and had the better of lineouts and breakdown play.

Making good use of their glut of possession, the Reds were virtually unstoppable with ball in hand. But rather than being seduced into trying to score at will, they kept their discipline and constructed their tries by first securing control.

By half-time, Goulburn had run in six tries with Gungahlin only able to score once.

Whereas in previous games the Reds have sometimes eased up in the second half, in this match they kept their foot (feet?) on the throttle. Gungahlin could neither cross Goulburn’s line nor effectively stop Goulburn from crossing theirs.

Five more Goulburn tries followed and by the players admission at full time, they still felt they had work to do on cleaning up their game.

While there was much to like about the game, the loss of Abram Kara to the recurrence of a shoulder injury, presumably for the rest of the season, adds to the cub’s growing injured players list that will necessitate some changes in the final weeks of the home and away competition.

Not only the team’s highest score this year, the match was also chock-full of significant personal milestones.

Mikael Webber played his 250^th first-grade game and scored his 199^th first-grade try in this match.

Brad Clements scored his 50^th (and his 51^st) club try and cruised past the 250 club points milestone.

And Adam Lachlan reached 250 first-grade points and 50 first-grade tries.

Best and fairest players for Goulburn were Mik Webber (3), Jordan Wilcox (2) and Eric Brown (1) with Wilcox also voted Players Player. 

Next weekend it seems likely that Goulburn men will be playing Wests at Weetangara in both grades, while the women will play their grand final at Mick Sherd Oval, Bungendore.

Goulburn 67 (Eric Brown 3, Brad Clements 2, Josh Condylios 2, Will Mooney, Matt Spratley, Mik Webber, Adam Lachlan tries, Webber 6 conversions) bt Gungahlin 7 (Scott try, Scott conversion)

By the Clock:

• 2 mins – Eric Brown try (5-0)
• 5 mins – Brad Clements try, Mikael Webber conversion (12-0)
• 14 mins – Eric Brown try, Webber conversion (19-0)
• 19 mins – Josh Condyles, Webber conversion (26-0)
• 27 mins – Adam Lachlan try (31-0)
• 31 mins – Gungahlin converted try (31-7)
• 34 mins – Will Mooney try, Webber (38-7)
• HALFTIME
• 37 mins – Eric Brown try (43-7)
• 47 mins – Brad Clements try (48-7)
• 52 mins – Josh Condylios try (53-7)
• 56 mins – Matt Spratley try, Webber conversion (60-7)
• 63 mins – Mik Webber try, Webber conversion (67-7)

Photos: Chris Gordon

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