Some sharp-shooting for goal and a big fourth-quarter effort saw Temora claim a rare victory at The Rock on Saturday, and consecutive wins for the first time this year.
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The Kangaroos rode home on the back of a six-goal haul to forward Matt Harpley and a handy support role from coach Jake Wooden (four goals) for an 11-point win over The Rock-Yerong Creek, 16.4 (100) to 13.11 (89).
Temora heeded an impassioned plea from Wooden at the final break, after the Pies had seized momentum and closed to within two points.
The coach set the example with a goal in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and when Harpley backed it up with two goals in two minutes, the Roos were suddenly out by 20 points.
While the Pies missed opportunities at the other end, Rob Krause put the game beyond doubt when he stretched the lead to four goals in the 17th minute.
Temora’s 16 goals from 20 scoring shots was a relief for Wooden while at the other end the Roos’ defence scrapped and fought all day to keep them in the game.
“Our back six today probably saved us, I thought they played really well,” Wooden said.
“I reckon their midfield played a lot better than ours today… they’ve got a lot of older blokes who are a bit smarter and we’ve got a lot of younger blokes coming through. It was a good lesson for them today.”
TRYC’s Dale Hugo, with seven goals, made the most of that midfield effort, and looks like making the full-forward role his own. He kicked the first two of the game and had five by half-time.
Hugo kicked just one behind but the Pies paid the price for spraying shots, particularly in the third term.
They had led for the first 20 minutes before Luke Gerhard and Harpley inspired the rise of the Roos, who were helped by kicking seven straight goals before their first miss.
TRYC hit the front by a point late in the second quarter but for barely a minute, as Wooden kicked two goals in time-on to reassert control.
Playing out the quarters was a priority for Temora, as was running out the game. But their accuracy in front of goal did hide some sloppiness elsewhere.
“It was a hard slog for sure... we didn’t play anywhere near our standards,” Wooden said. “It was a very sloppy day, so to come away with a win, especially here, was really pleasing.”
The Roos also did it without ruckman Anthony Atkin in the second half after a head knock.