RED 'N' BLACKS HOLD NERVE AND HEAD FOR THE DANCE

Old Xaverians got home by 5 points in a heart-stopper to take the Preliminary Final and earn a rematch with the Tonners in the big dance next week.

The game opened in perfect condidtions, apart from the cricket wicket area which clearly needed water. Kevs attacked the Glen Huntly Road end and drew first blood at two minutes. Xavs attacked from the restart but came up empty. The Tricolours looked good early, and had the best of it for the first ten minutes, but couldn’t convert further. Angas Taylor took a strong mark at 30 and goaled at 13 minutes to get the Claret and Stout on the board. Kevs got their second at 14 minutes. Harry Tilley’s rushed kick went wide at 17 minutes. Sam Niklaus posted at 20 minutes and Will Hanegraaf missed from a long way out and the siren cooked another promising drive forward for the X-Men. At the break, Kevs by four points.

Kevins opened with a minor score from the first forward set in the second stanza, and then at five minutes, snapped another goal to push their lead out to 11 points. The Red ‘n’ Blacks needed to lift, but it was Kevs who went forward from the restart and plonked another one. The Tricolours were doing well all over the park, especially in defence. The Glendaloughians  missed a sitter. Xavs missed two excellent chances. At 17 minutes. Will McCormack hit Taylor on the lead and he slipped it through for his second. At 25 minutes, Ryder Daffy grabbed a chest mark and kicked truly. At 28 minutes, Xavs went forward again and Angas Talyor was impeded. The siren went but the big fellow missed. At the half, just three points separated them.

Sam Niklaus goaled at 4 minutes into the thrid to put the X-Men in front after St Kevin’s turned it over on the wing. A minute later, he hit the post for the second time. At ten minutes, the Golden Bear picked up a loose ball with one hand and gave it to Hamish Alexander who snapped a beauty. SKOB pulled one back at 12 minutes after one of their first pushes forward for the term, and then two minutes later, they did it again to retake the lead. At the lemons, the game poised, with the Tricolours two points to the goodṟ

With just 30 seconds gone in the final term, Kevs tilted that balance a little their way with a sharp goal. Xavs attacked but couldn’t convert, which hitherto had been the story of the day.  At nine minutes, Taylor wheeled and dropped it through and the margin was back to two. At 15 minutes, Harvey Shephard kicked truly after a Kevs’ infringement and the X-Men were out by 3 points. But not for long. Kevs goaled from the square as they pushed into time on.

Reuben Shale marked strongly and SKOB rushed it through.  Charlie Harper found Niklaus on the arc, but right in front. He went backk and bombed it through post high and the X-Men led again. 21 minutes gone. Xavs went forward again, but scored just a minor. Kevs attacked relentlessly for the remaining five minutes, but the men in red and black were just as desperate. They held on and the X-Men go through after an enthralling encounter.

Coach Handley will be happy that his scharges hung tough when St Kevin's took over for certain patches. Every time the Tricolours threatened to extinguish the rebellion, the X-Men went harder. Despite their wayward kicking, and composure that went missing at a couple of vital stages, the Red 'n' Blacks seemed too determined to lower their colours.

Sam Niklaus, to no-one's surprise, earned the nod from every judge as BOG, his special skills setting his team alight on several occasions and his right boot eventually proving the difference between two worthy contenders.

‍

‍