A mammoth kicking duel, two early tries and seventy minutes of the best defence Goulburn has submitted all year has earned the Dirty Reds a spot in the ACT first division first grade grand final in two weeks.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Defending a three-point lead for the last 12 minutes, the Reds did what co-coach Jackson Reardon asked of them at half time and emptied the tank, leaving nothing in reserve as they broke down phase after phase of attack by the Tuggeranong Vikings.
Off to a flying start, Goulburn was first on the board with a try to winger Taniela Halafihi after just five minutes.
READ ALSO:
Eleven minutes after that fly half Ben Todkill pulled in an intercept and ran 70 metres for Goulburn's second try, and at this point, despite Tuggeranong having the territorial edge, it looked like the momentum was shifting towards Goulburn.
That wasn't to be the case. There would be no more tries for Goulburn, only a tough ongoing battle at the breakdown.
The contest was keenly fought by both sides at every phase. Goulburn could not breach the Vikings line nor could Tuggeranong break through Goulburn's defence.
The larger Vikings side looked to have a physical advantage but in their best defensive display of the year the Reds kept cutting them down with persistent efficient low tackling.
With broken field running at a minimum, a kicking duel ensued, with possibly the most long-range kicks and returns seen in a local match for years.
Vikings used their kicking game to regularly find touch where they made good use of their lineouts but despite being camped on Goulburn's line, Tuggeranong couldn't break through.
With points at a premium and defence virtually impenetrable, Tuggeranong took the option of a penalty goal bang on half time closing Goulburn's lead to 10-3 going into the break
From the second half restart, Tuggeranong camped again in Goulburn's 20 and threw multiple phases at the Reds.
With fifty minutes gone and inside Tuggeranong's quarter, a Vikings infringement provided Goulburn with a chance at a penalty goal and the decision to take the kick would prove crucial.
Webber's successful kick stretched the lead to ten points but only eight minutes later, and twelve minutes from full time, Tuggeranong finally crossed Goulburn's line to close the gap to just three points.
Tuggeranong held the majority of possession in the match causing Goulburn's committed defence to drain a lot of petrol from their tanks.
In that final session, the Vikings threw the kitchen sink at Goulburn but the Reds kept picking themselves off the ground and throwing themselves into defence.
Even in the final minutes the match was still anyone's but Goulburn held strong for the 13-10 win.
The match included a number of individual milestones including Matt Spratley's 100th game for the club, Ben Todkill's 150th first grade game and Henry Cooper's 50th first grade game.
Goulburn now has a week off to refine their game and recover from some niggling injuries before the grand final.
Did you know the Goulburn Post is now offering breaking news alerts and a weekly email newsletter? Keep up-to-date with all the local news: sign up below.
