Round 8: Aspley Broncos vs Tweed Heads [Archive]

Queenslander

08-05-07, 10:08 AM

Rugged Duo Butt Heads

A RUNNING battle between hardheads Andrew Moroney and David Taylor was the feature of a thrilling 24-all draw between Tweed Heads and Aspley in Friday night's Wizard Cup showdown at Suncorp Stadium.

Left all locked up after a converted try to Matt King in the final minute, the Round Eight battle had a touch of everything as it delivered the first stalemate of the season.

Aspley dominated territory early and looked to hold the edge in intensity, yet Tweed Heads led 10-0 at halftime.

It took more than 20 minutes for the first points to be scored, as Seagulls winger Josh Vaughan found room up the middle from broken play.

By that stage the Broncos had already butchered several tries and ultimately they were left to rue the missed opportunities. Jamie Simpson fell inches short on one movement, while Gideon Mzembe had two close shaves.

Later in the same half both Derricke Watkins and Simpson were ruled to be held up in-goal.

The real highlight for football purists was a face-off between forwards Moroney and Taylor, two proud bucks standing their ground and butting heads with regularity. Any time there was a tackle or charge performed with particular vigour, there was a fair chance that the aforementioned combatants were involved.

In one instance it backfired for Taylor ? he gave away a penalty shot to Brad Davis ? but for the most part the non-stop arm wrestle set the tone for the game.

Aspley grabbed the first two tries of the second half, one to Ben Green out wide in the 45th minute and then another to schoolboy Troyden Watene-Edwards four minutes later, coming from a great Nick Kenny offload.

That tied the game up 12-all, with the Broncos moving ahead for the first time when Green booted a penalty after a strong Taylor charge.

The final 20 minutes was befitting of the grand stadium as the top five aspirants went tit-for-tat in nail-biting fashion.

First Tweed half Tim Maccan dummied and ducked under two men to fight back the ascendancy, his try converted by Davis for an 18-14 lead. The Seagulls? superiority lasted all of five minutes when Mzembe slid over inside the corner post, capping off his best game of the season so far.

From an 18-all deadlock the lead then changed hands again as Aspley hooker Nathan Strudwick set a smart inside ball for Clifford Manua, who torpedoed over and made it 24-18.

With seven minutes left on the clock, that?s when the real action began. Tweed, having lost David Myles to a back injury in the opening five minutes, tried all manner of manoeuvres to swing back the result.

First it was dangerman Chris Sandow skirting down the sideline, hoping he could emulate his stepping efforts of the first half, when he cut the Broncos to ribbons with a scything try. However second time around he ignored an unmarked Shannon Walker outside him and what would have been an enthralling long-range foot race with Aspley?s Denan Kemp.

Then, less than two minutes from the hooter Nat Barnes broke clear down the other flank, chipping over Kemp and into the in-goal. Cleaning up in cover, Broncos lock Watkins managed to just ground the ball first.

It forced a drop out and, from the subsequent set, Tweed stayed on the attack, this time with slick teen Walker beating a handful of defenders on a ragged run that kept the crowd on tenterhooks. As the timepiece finally ticked into the final 60 seconds, stalwart King scooted over from dummy-half and wild celebrations followed.

The gruelling nature of the game not only brought injuries to Tweed, but also to Aspley, which lost half Brent McConnell in his 100th game due to a recurrence of an ankle problem. Mzembe and Kemp also went down hurt at various stages, but played on.

Next Sunday Aspley faces Wynnum Manly at BMD Kougari Oval at 3pm, while at the same time across town at Davies Park, Tweed Heads takes on Souths Logan.

ASPLEY 24 (Gideon Mzembe, Ben Green, Clifford Manua, Troyden Watene-Edwards tries; Ben Green 4 goals)
drew
TWEED HEADS 24 (Josh Vaughan, Tim Maccan, Chris Sandow, Matt King tries; Brad Davis 4 goals) at Suncorp Stadium.

www.qrl.com.au