New York Magpies v Lehigh Valley Crocodiles
May 18, 2002 @ Lehigh Valley

Coming off a great win versus Boston, Round 2 of the NEAFL season presented a great opportunity for the Magpies to stake a claim as the team to beat in the North East. However, despite having control of the game early, the Magpies took the foot off the accelerator, and coupled with an inability to covert numerous scoring opportunities, led to a narrow defeat and sent the Magpies back to the middle of the NEAFL pack.

The Magpies lost the toss but kicked with the aid of a strong breeze in the first quarter, on a waterlogged Lehigh Valley field. Coming off an impressive debut against Boston, ruckman Andrew Bridges again provided the Magpies with first use of the football, particularly Shane Smith and Simon Walsh, who had numerous hard ball possessions early in the first quarter. The forwards worked hard to take front position and to retain the ball within the forwardline, while onballers kept running through the lines to help the forwards. This hard running was rewarded with two quick goals, to Denyer and then Walsh. The half back line, led by an disciplined pair of half back flankers in McIntyre and Lewis kept pushing the ball deep into the forwardline but unfortunately these forward forays only resulted in rushed snap shots across the body, leading to behinds. After a couple of snapshots towards the end of the quarter, the Pies were a bit unlucky to only be up by about 3 goals.

Signs were good for the Magpies early in the second quarter, with the midfield continuing to get a lot of touches and with plenty of hardness at the football displayed by newcomers Hayes and Lerch. However, Lehigh Valley’s running players began to get more of the football in the second quarter, putting pressure on the Pies backmen, but Moorcroft and Mullarkey were resolute down back, repelling a number of attacks. Later in the quarter the Pies broke down across the half forward line, and on the rebound Lehigh scored a couple of quick goals. Undisciplined play from the Pies in giving up a number of 25 meter penalties, crucial due to the wet conditions of the ground and heavy football, and a lack of accountability across the centerline led to Lehigh gaining an ascendancy. By the half time break, Lehigh had recovered to be in front by a point.

The Magpies were sparked in the third quarter by the introduction of Guy Luminato, who along with hard runners Lerner and Walsh, provided a number of opportunities for the Magpies forwards. With Bridges continuing to be dominant in the ruck it looked like the tide was turning the Magpies way, but Lehigh’s onballers rose to the challenge, and with some lax checking, scored crucial goals into the breeze, establishing an 8 point lead by three quarter time.

Both teams got their fair share of the football in the last quarter. Lehigh was more efficient in moving into attack and the Pies were looking in trouble with ten minutes to go, facing a 3 goal deficit. The Pies endeavour continued in the wet conditions, working hard in numbers to push the ball into their forwardline, creating 3 scoring opportunities in the frenzied last couple of minutes, but were let down by inaccuracy in front of goal, eventually kicking 1 goal 3 behinds for the term. The siren sounded with the ball still deep in the Pies forwardline, but as was the story of the day, without anyone able to convert the opportunities. Lehigh winners by 11 points.

Despite the result, there were a number of positives for the Magpies for the day, including traveling with a large and committed squad and giving another 3 or 4 new players a game of football; the continued development of second gamers McIntyre, Lerch, Hayes and Desai; a willingness to slog out a tough football game in conditions not suited to the Pies skill and height advantages; and finally a 10 goal turn around from the previous year’s games against Lehigh, although a couple of goals short of the desired result.

Quarter by quarter:

New York: 2.6 2.7 4.7 5.10:40

Lehigh: 0.1 3.2 6.3 8.3:51

Goalkickers:

Gurry, Denyer, Walsh, Luminato, Stephens

Best Players:

Bridges, Walsh, Lerner, Smith, Luminato, Lewis, Moorcroft, McIntyre.