A cool though humid night on which there were plenty of spectators and even more moths was the background for the Young Guns first hitout for 2005.
For the Guns, Dean Limpus was injured and didn't make the trip. The squad contained several players making their senior football debuts, Michael Fairweather, Cam Wilkinson, Heathcliff Lawrence, Scott Bolton, Greg Byrnes and Kaydon Phillips.
Atherton fielded their FG side but included some reggies and youngsters players as their new signings have not arrived in town yet.
The Guns were rusty early and took a while to click into gear. After 12 mins, Atherton hooker Cifuentes threw a big dummy from dummyhalf and struggled over in the far corner. I couldn't identify the Guns involved but it was down the wing defended by Dean Payne and Rory Bromley. Atherton missed the kick but led 4-0.
Early impressions I noted were that Keiran Kerr, named at 5/8, was playing 1st receiver and McConnell was very game and competent in defence, despite his lack of size.
On 20 mins, the Atherton defence overread a long pass from dummy half deep intheir quater on our right side. McConnell got behind the defence and passed to Kerr who stepped off his left foot and went over untouched under the posts. McConnell converted and the Guns led 6-4 at quarter time.
13 mins after the resumption, Fairweather, who had dropped a few in tackles, held onto one and dived over in the corner after a nice interchange of passes between Anderson and Solo. McConnell missed the kick, 10-4.
Three minutes later, NQ were in again. By this stage, they were running the locals off their feet and had a three man overlap 10 meters out but the last pass was knocked down. Barsley picked it up 20m upfield and sliced through but was tackled just short of the line. Bolton barged over from dummyhalf and McConnell converted for 16-4.
Amos was killing them out of dummyhalf and Anderson and Lawrence were working hard in the middle. Barsley was electric at the back, covering the kicks well and punishing loose chases with slicing runs.
Atherton kicked off dead in goal on the full and the Guns had time for Amos to go over from dummyhalf after another good touchfinder from McConnell, who was gaining good ground with his penalty kicks for the line. He converted again and the Guns led 22-4 at the long break.
After HT, Bromley and Barsley switched spots. The Roosters dominated possession and territory for most of the quarter, the Guns kept giving the ball back to them. Finally, after 55 mins, Tyler Smith went over from dummy half the first time NQ held the ball.
Bromley was looking good at fullback and made a couple of darting runs, also displaying some vision in spreading the ball when confronted by a wall of chasers.
The 'boys had time for one more before 3/4 time, when a scrum was packed in the Roosters quarter near centrefield. Kerr fed the scrum, McConnell picked up the pass off his bootlaces, stepped off his left in behind the defence. He then headed back left but was ankle-tapped as he passed. The pass bounced to Solo who sent Fairweather in again in the corner. NQ declined the kick and went to the last break leading 32-4.
Two mins into the last quarter, Mataora burst through the line and fought tackle after tackle to get clear, finally succumbing on the locals 20m line. The following play produced a good interchange from the 'boys, who by now were running almost at will, and 2nd rower Gavin Cooper crashed over near the posts. They passed on the kick again, 36-4.
Bromley and Barsley were combining well at the back and cutting the tired chasers to ribbons.
On 70mins, successive runs from Barsley and BLO created the space for McConnell to send local boy Greg Byrnes in with some sleight of hand at the line. Again, the kick was not attempted, 40-4.
With a minute to go, Dean Payne hurt his knee when tackled and the ref decided Atherton had had enough and blew fulltime. Wilkinson had earlier hurt his knee soon after coming on and took no further part. A couple of players received cuts, otherwise, just the usual bumps and bruises.
I thought our best were McConnell, who was constructive and dangerous in everything he did, and Amos, who destroyed the Roosters up the middle out of dummyhalf, despite dropping a couple. As mentioned earlier, Fairweather dropped a few early but displayed plenty of tow and evasion as the game went on. Barsley was electric and Bromley showed plenty of promise as well. The forwards all worked hard, no-one really standing out.
For the Guns, Dean Limpus was injured and didn't make the trip. The squad contained several players making their senior football debuts, Michael Fairweather, Cam Wilkinson, Heathcliff Lawrence, Scott Bolton, Greg Byrnes and Kaydon Phillips.
Atherton fielded their FG side but included some reggies and youngsters players as their new signings have not arrived in town yet.
The Guns were rusty early and took a while to click into gear. After 12 mins, Atherton hooker Cifuentes threw a big dummy from dummyhalf and struggled over in the far corner. I couldn't identify the Guns involved but it was down the wing defended by Dean Payne and Rory Bromley. Atherton missed the kick but led 4-0.
Early impressions I noted were that Keiran Kerr, named at 5/8, was playing 1st receiver and McConnell was very game and competent in defence, despite his lack of size.
On 20 mins, the Atherton defence overread a long pass from dummy half deep intheir quater on our right side. McConnell got behind the defence and passed to Kerr who stepped off his left foot and went over untouched under the posts. McConnell converted and the Guns led 6-4 at quarter time.
13 mins after the resumption, Fairweather, who had dropped a few in tackles, held onto one and dived over in the corner after a nice interchange of passes between Anderson and Solo. McConnell missed the kick, 10-4.
Three minutes later, NQ were in again. By this stage, they were running the locals off their feet and had a three man overlap 10 meters out but the last pass was knocked down. Barsley picked it up 20m upfield and sliced through but was tackled just short of the line. Bolton barged over from dummyhalf and McConnell converted for 16-4.
Amos was killing them out of dummyhalf and Anderson and Lawrence were working hard in the middle. Barsley was electric at the back, covering the kicks well and punishing loose chases with slicing runs.
Atherton kicked off dead in goal on the full and the Guns had time for Amos to go over from dummyhalf after another good touchfinder from McConnell, who was gaining good ground with his penalty kicks for the line. He converted again and the Guns led 22-4 at the long break.
After HT, Bromley and Barsley switched spots. The Roosters dominated possession and territory for most of the quarter, the Guns kept giving the ball back to them. Finally, after 55 mins, Tyler Smith went over from dummy half the first time NQ held the ball.
Bromley was looking good at fullback and made a couple of darting runs, also displaying some vision in spreading the ball when confronted by a wall of chasers.
The 'boys had time for one more before 3/4 time, when a scrum was packed in the Roosters quarter near centrefield. Kerr fed the scrum, McConnell picked up the pass off his bootlaces, stepped off his left in behind the defence. He then headed back left but was ankle-tapped as he passed. The pass bounced to Solo who sent Fairweather in again in the corner. NQ declined the kick and went to the last break leading 32-4.
Two mins into the last quarter, Mataora burst through the line and fought tackle after tackle to get clear, finally succumbing on the locals 20m line. The following play produced a good interchange from the 'boys, who by now were running almost at will, and 2nd rower Gavin Cooper crashed over near the posts. They passed on the kick again, 36-4.
Bromley and Barsley were combining well at the back and cutting the tired chasers to ribbons.
On 70mins, successive runs from Barsley and BLO created the space for McConnell to send local boy Greg Byrnes in with some sleight of hand at the line. Again, the kick was not attempted, 40-4.
With a minute to go, Dean Payne hurt his knee when tackled and the ref decided Atherton had had enough and blew fulltime. Wilkinson had earlier hurt his knee soon after coming on and took no further part. A couple of players received cuts, otherwise, just the usual bumps and bruises.
I thought our best were McConnell, who was constructive and dangerous in everything he did, and Amos, who destroyed the Roosters up the middle out of dummyhalf, despite dropping a couple. As mentioned earlier, Fairweather dropped a few early but displayed plenty of tow and evasion as the game went on. Barsley was electric and Bromley showed plenty of promise as well. The forwards all worked hard, no-one really standing out.
