McBean’s day out ends Norwood winning streak

Glenelg captain Liam McBean kicked six goals in a runaway 34-point Tigers win at Stratarama Stadium on Saturday, ending Norwood’s five-game winning streak.

The Redlegs kicked the first two goals, but the Tigers were the superior team after half time, kicking four goals to none in the second half to run out 11.15-81 to 6.11-47 winners.

Glenelg had struggled in recent weeks, winning just one of its past four matches, but brought a finals-like pressure and intensity to a game that it needed to win to remain in the top three.

Norwood remains on top of the ladder by the slightest of margins, 0.21% over the second placed Sturt, after the Double Blues defeated Port Adelaide by 23 points at Unley on Saturday.

The Tigers were more desperate, and had the seven leading ball winners on the ground, with Corey Lyons collecting 28 disposals.

Norwood’s leading ball winner was Baynen Lowe in his 50th SANFL game, with 19 disposals, seven tackles and a goal.

Harry Boyd stood tall in a challenging ruck battle against Cameron McGree, with the Norwood ruckman winning 49 hitouts, 10 clearances, six tackles and 17 disposals.

Jackson Callow and Izaak Twelftree both kicked two goals for Norwood.

The Redlegs had an outstanding start, pinning the ball inside their forward half and taking it inside 50m nine of the first 10 times.

Norwood got the first two goals on the board in identical snaps from Twelftree and Callow to take a 14-point lead at the 10-minute mark.

Norwood looked the more desperate side early in the piece, laying 15 tackles and winning six clearances in the first 10 minutes, and also having a large share of the disposal.

The early dominance came off the back of Boyd, who had four disposals, eight hitouts and three clearances in the first 10 minutes.

The Bays had been starved of the footy and territory in the opening stages, but on their second trip inside 50m the Tigers found their first goal through skipper McBean 11 minutes into the contest.

Glenelg worked its way into the match, and McBean found a second goal to level the scores.

Glenelg owned the second half of the quarter, going inside 50m nine consecutive times, but let Norwood off the hook as several set shots drifted wide.

The Tigers were moving the footy with ease through the middle of the ground, and another foray forward ended up in McBean’s hands. He went back and nailed a long set shot from the edge of the centre square.

At quarter time, Glenelg led 3.6-24 to 2.2-14 and it could have been worse with Hunter Window missing from the top of the goalsquare with the last kick of the quarter.

McBean had all three goals for Glenelg, while Lyons loomed large with nine disposals.

For Norwood, Pierce Seymour had six disposals, Boyd five and Billy Cootee five.

Despite the early dominance, Norwood trailed inside 50m entries at quarter time 15-8, and were -21 in disposal, and -11 clearances.

Callow’s second goal was a timely one to start the second term, snapping three straight majors from Glenelg to close within four points.

Key forwards Callow and McBean were responsible for five of the first six goals.

Lowe gave Norwood back the lead in his 50^th game when he nailed a goal from a Glenelg turnover from a kick out.

In a see-sawing game of momentum swings, Glenelg reclaimed the lead four minutes later when McBean kicked his and his side’s fourth goal.

McBean added his fifth goal from a free kick, and Matt Allen snapped a goal a minute later to help the Tigers to a 15-point lead.

Boyd hacked the ball 45m out of mid air and onto the chest of Finn Heard, who couldn’t convert his long set shot. Norwood had wrestled back to momentum, but squandered a couple of golden opportunities in front of goal.

Jake Cresswell snapped an absolute ripping goal in front of the cricket nets to bring the margin back to seven points.

Riley Holder missed an easy set shot, and then nailed a difficult goal from a stoppage in Glenelg’s forward pocket, before Twelftree found his second goal. This would be Norwood’s last goal of the contest.

Both sides kicked four goals in the second term, and the Tigers led by eight points at the main break, 7.8-50 to 6.6-42.

Norwood was -3 inside 50m, -8 clearances, -23 disposals, but +4 in tackles.

Glenelg had the top six ball winners on the ground, with Lyons having a big day with 15 to the half. Norwood’s leading disposal winners were Boyd, Declan Hamilton and Seymour with 10 each.

McBean had five of Glenelg’s six goals, while Callow and Twelftree had two apiece for the Redlegs.

The Tigers dominated every aspect of the third quarter, but couldn’t put it on the scoreboard, kicking 1.5 to two behinds in the first 15 minutes to edge themselves to a 16-point lead.

Allen finally put a second Tigers goal through and the home side looked well on top with a 22-point advantage at the 16-minute mark.

It looked like it was going to be Glenelg’s day when McBean slammed home his sixth goal, and his side’s third of the third quarter to go up by 29 points.

The Tigers led by a daunting 31 points at the final break, 10.15-75 to 6.8-44, keeping the Redlegs to two behinds in the third term while nailing a wayward 3.7 of their own.

Glenelg had the eight leading ball winners on the ground, with Boyd leading the way for Norwood with 14 disposals and 10 clearances.

The Bays put the final nail in the coffin with the first goal of the final term though Window, making it four unanswered goals and a 37-point margin.

This was the only goal of the final term, with the Redlegs held goalless in the second half, as Glenelg celebrated the 200th SANFL game of Matthew Snook in style.

Glenelg completely outplayed Norwood for most of the day, finishing +81 disposals, +22 marks, +14 clearances and +13 inside 50m.

Norwood will have a week off to stew over the loss during the Bye, with games against South Adelaide, North Adelaide and Woodville-West Torrens to close out the home and away season.

Norwood 2.2, 6.6, 6.8, 6.11-47

Glenelg 3.6, 7.8, 10.15, 11.15-81

Goals: Callow 2, Twelftree 2, Cresswell, Lowe

Best: Twelftree, Hamilton, B. Carroll, J. Heard, Boyd

Norwood’s Reserves ran away with an outstanding 37-point win against the second placed Glenelg at Stratarama Stadium on Saturday to snap a sting of consecutive defeats. 

The Redlegs have secured a top three spot, and have eyes on locking in top place over the next three matches against South Adelaide, North Adelaide and Woodville-West Torrens.

Glenelg kicked the first two goals of Saturday’s contest, before the Redlegs slammed home the next six goals unanswered to set up a 27-point lead mid-way through the third term.

The Tigers fired back with two quick goals before three quarter time to reduce the margin to a nervous 14 points at the final break, 6.7-43 to 4.5-29.

Norwood kicked the first two goals of the final term through Harvey Pedler and Tristan Binder, before Glenelg hit back with goals through Michael Thompson and Ryan Wurfel to make it a 13-point game at the eight-minute mark.

It was the Redlegs who held their nerve in the final 15 minutes, slamming home the final four goals, including two off the boot of Connor Kent to run out 12.9-81 to 6.8-44 winners.

It was an important win for the top of the table Redlegs, who had come off back to back losses to Central District and Glenelg, having managed just five goals in each of those two matches.

Kent finished with three majors, and Pedler two.

Xavier Tranfa continued his strong run of form in the Reserves with 29 disposals, four clearances, five tackles and a goal.

Ben Simpson was best on ground with 28 disposals, nine clearances and four tackles.

Alex van Wyk was strong again in the ruck, with 40 hitouts, eight clearances and 18 disposals, while Patrick Walker had 18 disposals in his second game back from an ankle injury.

Norwood 1.2, 5.3, 6.7, 12.9 – 81

Glenelg 2.1, 2.1, 4.5, 6.8 – 44

Goals: Kent, Pedler, Bates, Binder, Bogle, Hodges, Tranfa, Walls, Wilksch

Best: Simpson, van Wyk, Tranfa, Krollig, Walker