Tigers end Norwood’s winning run

It was another Norwood V Glenelg thriller at Coopers Stadium on Saturday evening, but once again it was the Tigers who got the result, securing an eight-point win to bump the Redlegs off the top of the ladder. 

Unfortunately the recent hoodoo against the Tigers continued, with Glenelg extending its winning streak against Norwood to seven.

The Tigers led by a match-high 30-point margin late in the third term, before Norwood came storming home with the last four goals in an attempt to steal the win. But, the Redlegs ran out of time, with the siren sounding at 9.10-64 to 8.8-56.

Norwood jumped out of the blocks with two goals in the first five minutes. Finn Heard nailed a set shot to get things underway, and then Declan Hamilton span one through from the Premiers Bar pocket.

The Redlegs were all over Glenelg in the opening term, with Connor Ling breaking the 50m arc and nailing Norwood’s third goal.

Lachie Hosie got Glenelg’s first, and only, goal of the opening quarter, and it was the hosts leading by 13 points at the first break, 3.3-21 to 1.2-8.

As they were always going to do, the Tigers responded with a total domination of the second term, kicking the only three goals of the term to take the lead.

None other than captain Liam McBean gave his Tigers a six-point lead at half time, nailing his first goal with 90 seconds remaining in the half.

At the main break, the Tigers led 4.5-29 to 3.5-23 in a tough, congested game of football.

Kade Dittmar had 11 touches in the first quarter, but was held statless in the second term, while Aaron Francis and F. Heard each led the way with 14 disposals in the first half.

Norwood led disposal +50, marks +5, clearances +4 and inside 50m entries +4, but the game was being played on Glenelg’s terms. It had turned into a slog, which suited the Tigers.

Both sides traded highlights early in the third term, as Hosie swung through a goal of the year contender in front of the old scoreboard, before Jackson Callow clunked a brilliant contested mark.

Tristan Binder got the Redlegs first goal of the quarter at the nine-minute mark, but that was it in terms of Norwood highlights for the term, as the Tigers flexed their muscles and hammered home four more goals to extend their four-point half time margin out to 30.

The five-goal quarter was a hammer blow, making it eight of the last nine goals for the Tigers, and it seemed Norwood had no answers. Callow and Charlie Molan found late goals to give the Redlegs a heartbeat at the final break, training by 18 points, 9.6-60 to 6.6-42.

It was all Norwood in a thrilling final quarter, where the ball lived in the Redlegs forward half, surging it forward at every opportunity.

The Redlegs had 17 inside 50m entries in the final term, and F. Heard landed an early warning sign that the comeback was well and truly on the agenda, nailing a 55m goal.

Try as they might, the Redlegs just couldn’t find another goal to put proper scoreboard pressure on the Tigers, who parked the bus, until Hamilton rolled through his second with four minutes remaining to make it seven points.

It was a frantic final few minutes, but Glenelg was good enough to hang on to its 10th win of the season.

It was Norwood’s first loss since Round 2 (also against Glenelg), ending a nine-game winning steak. The Redlegs take on West Adelaide at Richmond Oval next Saturday.

Norwood 3.3, 3.5, 6.6, 8.8 – 56 

Glenelg 1.2, 4.5, 9.6, 9.10 – 64

Goals: Hamilton 2, F. Heard 2, Binder, Callow, C. Ling, Molan