A five-goal first half thriller descended into a gritty second stanza grind on Sunday, with the Weston Bears avenging their first-round loss against the Maitland Magpies with a 3-2 win.
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Playing on Old Boys Day at Rockwell Park, Weston’s Chris Hurley struck first, with the wide midfielder sending in a long shot to beat Magpies goalkeeper Matt Trott for the first score.
Magpies gun Ryan Clarke replied shortly after, before winning a penalty which Matt Thompson duly banged in for a 2-1 scoreline.
Hurley, a shining light out wide for the Bears, didn’t wait long to reply, the midfielder notching his second goal of the day to level the score.
It wasn’t the end of the first half action though, with Josh McGuire slotting his second goal of the season to put Weston ahead 3-2.
And that’s where the score remained, with the match descending into a gritty, scoreless second half grind, punctuated by long periods of Magpies dominance.
However, with an abundance of ball, the Magpies were unable to score a levelling blow.
Weston coach Steve Piggott praised his players for “hanging in tough”.
“It was a funny match with all the goals scored in the first half, but I was happy for the boys for hanging in tough,” Piggott said, adding that it was additionally pleasing to win the match on Old Boys Day.
“As a group we we worked hard on the day and got the points. It was a competitive match, the local derby always is, and it was good to get the win.”
He played down the local rivalry, but admitted it was good to knock off a Magpies side chasing a finals spot.
“Victory’s always a sweet taste and they’re a top four or five side, so I was pleased with it.”
He’s confident that the win could catapult the Bears, who sit in third last place on the ladder, into the back end of the season.
“We’ve get a few more wins in us. If we get on a bit of a roll anything could happen,” he said.
Magpies coach Mick Bolch said he was disappointed with the loss, the second time in three weeks they’ve conceded three goals in the first half.
“We played (competition leaders Broadmeadow) Magic last week and didn’t let in a goal. This week we conceded three ...whether it’s a mentality thing and the boys were more ‘up’ for the Broadmeadow game, it’s got to be addressed,” coach Bolch said.
The loss leaves the Magpies in fifth place on 17 points with a fight on their hands to make the top four. A win against Weston would have propelled them into third spot.
“Not to take anything away from Weston, who were very good, but it’s three points we’ve thrown away,” Bolch said.
“A chance to go to third spot slips through our hands.”
Both sides have this week off before Maitland take on fourth-placed Charlestown in what shapes as a crucial clash for both teams.
“It’s a grand final match for us,” Bolch said.
Weston's next match will be against the Lake Macquarie Roosters.
