World Footy News

Match report taken from the Glasgow Sharks website and written by "the Great White.

Saturday saw the S.A.R.F.L season opener between the Glasgow Sharks and the Aberdeen Eagles. The game was played under threatening skies and in very difficult conditions as heavy overnight rain had left standing water on many parts of the field. Although this was the first league game of the season there was still a fair bit on the line for both teams. The sharks were wanting to get the ledger going their way after going down to the eagles in the last game of the year last season and at this year’s Haggis cup. The eagles on the other hand were looking to keep their momentum going and continue the trend of recent times. Both sets of players were not going to let the conditions dampen their enthusiasm and defiantly marched through the rain to take to the field.

The first quarter got underway with both teams knowing the importance of making the most of their chances while the ball was still dry. It was the sharks though who won the centre clearance and quickly went into attack but were unable to impact the scoreboard. The eagle’s backline were working hard to exit their defence but the sharks midfield were able to form a wall across the middle and were able to keep the ball locked in their forward line. The eagles were giving their all to put pressure on the sharks forwards only allowing them to have snap shots or shoot from difficult angles and as a result the sharks were very inaccurate but still managed to take a healthy 24 point lead into the first break. 3.7.25 v 0.1.1

The eagles showed they were not going to let the sharks run away with the game and lifted at the start of the second term. With the eagles now winning more of the ball in the midfield the eagle forwards were getting more opportunities to score. By the midway point of the quarter the game had turned into an arm wrestle with most passages of play being tough relentless attacks on the footy. Both teams were a little off target and could not make the most of their opportunities when they managed to get forward and in a low scoring game the team who could make the most of their chances would come out on top. In a much more even quarter the sharks could only extend their quarter time lead by one point. 4.10.34 v 1.3.9

The rain eased at the start of the third and while it was still a scrappy contest the game opened up a little and probably the best footy of the day was played. Both teams were finding it easier to go forward and the eagles were first to get on the scoreboard with a major. The sharks answered back with a goal of their own and the mini shootout was on. Both teams traded goals throughout the quarter but neither team could get back to back goals to either extend or decrease the margin. When the term came to an end the eagles had only cut back the sharks lead by a solitary point leaving the margin the same as it was a quarter time 24 points giving them a mountain of work to do in the last quarter. 7.12.54 v 4.6.30

It was a war of attrition in the early going of the last quarter. Both teams were showing the effects of running on the heavy ground for 80 minutes. With both teams running on tired legs the game became very scrappy with neither team able to go forward with any real conviction. The sharks had chances to blow out the score line but were again inaccurate on goal and could only manage 4 straight behinds for the term. The eagles got a goal back late on in the quarter but by that stage it was too little too late as they were left to ponder what would have been had they not had a slow start. In the end the sharks ran out comfortable 21 point victors kicking 7.16.58 v 5.7.37            

See ya on the boundary line next time

Cheer cheer the blue and the white

The Great White