By GEOFF NEWLING, G4 MEDIA
Gunnedah was terrible in the first half but turned it around in the second stanza to beat Narrabri Blues 42-30 in last weekend’s sixth round WEG Tooheys Group 4 first grade clash at Kitchener Park, Gunnedah.
The Bulldogs fought back to lead 14-12 at halftime but trailed 22-14 into the second half before the Bulldogs clicked and surged late.
“It’s a win,” Bulldogs coach Mick Schmiedel said.
“Two clubs struggling to win. They played some good footy too. Jeff Harvey was outstanding for them,” he said of the young prop. Their middle was good and Chris Hunt was really good for them too.
“Enough of Narrabri though,” he said. “I thought that 15 or 20 minutes in the second half won us the game.”
Down 22-14 the worked their way back into the game by controlling the ball and completing their sets.
“I thought Linc (Lincon Smith), Kyle (Marsh) and Aiden (Davis) through the middle were fantastic.
“Unfortunately, we’ve lost Kyle for the season with that Achilles injury.”
Marsh was having a great game, launching many Bulldogs raids with that first tough, run.
But he suffered a serious injury in the second half.
“He hadn’t played for three or four years when he came back for us,” Schmiedel said.
“He only played a few games for us but has been outstanding. He’s going to be a big loss.
“He and Linc were great in the middle.”
The coach thought his side’s poor first half was mostly through a “lack of respect for Narrabri”.
“I can feel for them because it was a game they let slip,” Schmiedel added.
He thought his side might have been in trouble when down 22-14 but they bounced back “to get the job done”.
“Lincon was great, as were Charlie Lawrence, Kyle and Aiden. Issac Reeves was good on debut too.”
Scoreboard:
GUNNEDAH 42 (Aiden Davis 2, Charlie Lawrence 2, Sam Lavis, Will Patterson, Lincon Smith, Andy Endicott tries, Dylan O’Brien 5gls) d NARRABRI 30 (Aiden Butcher 3, Dylan Segundo, Jeff Harvey tries, Trey Doolan 5gls) WEG TOOHEYS G4 B&F: 3 Lincon Smith (G), 2 Jeff Harvey (Narr), 1 Charlie Lawrence (G).
