Turvey Park continued their bright start to the new year with a 33-point win over arch-rivals Wagga Tigers at Maher Oval on Saturday.
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On a day where Turvey Park celebrated their 1988 premiership reunion, the current day Bulldogs gave them plenty to cheer about as they recorded a comfortable victory, 14.8 (92) to 8.11 (59).
Turvey Park led by eight points at half-time but broke the game open in the third quarter as they kicked four goals to one to establish a 26-point buffer.
Tigers kicked the first goal of the final term to close within 19 points but two goals in two minutes to Brad Ashcroft and Benson Ochieng put the result beyond doubt.
Sidelined Turvey Park coach Truman Carroll could not be happier with how his team has started the season.
“It’s a great start to the year,” Carroll said.
“The boys are buying into the team play and gelling together. Two from two is the perfect start.
“To beat Tigers on the home deck, especially with the reunion tops it off.”
The Bulldogs did not rely on one player but had a host of contributors across the ground.
Matt Ness was very good in his first game back for the Bulldogs, controlling a lot of play through the midfield.
Josh Ashcroft was another standout through the middle, while Brad Ashcroft continued to show good signs with a three-goal effort up forward.
Josh Campbell kicked three second half goals, while Myles Carroll was also lively.
“We’re not like other sides where we have a heap of A list players that we’re relying on,” Carroll said.
“We’re just a heap of little worker ants that just go along, do their jobs and play their roles and when we all do that, we go alright.”
Carroll liked the way his team responded from an average second quarter.
“Just our ability to fight our back from the second quarter and come home strong in the third and fourth quarters. We kept on fighting, we never dropped our heads, we cleaned it up and came home strong,” he said.
“It was probably just a lapse. They were applying a lot of pressure. I think we got very lazy defensively with our two-way running and stuff like that. We didn’t respect the opposition enough and they made us pay the price. They’re a good little side, Tigers, and we were our own worst enemy.”
It wasn’t the way Tigers wanted to start the year.
New captain Nick Ryan was outstanding in defeat and would have challenged for best-on-ground honours despite playing in a losing team.
New recruit Nick Keegan showed good signs, while Campbell Lovell was lively.
Turvey Park lost Clint Shields to a hamstring strain in the second half, with Mitch Sykes a late withdrawal with the same injury.