INVERELL Hawks swooped with two late tries to end Glen Innes Magpies’ Group 19 premiership hopes with a 26-18 preliminary final win at Kerry Mead Park, Glen Innes yesterday and earn a grand final berth against Moree Boomerangs in Moree next Sunday.
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Down 18-16 midway through the second half after Glen Innes captain-coach Sam Key had broken a 16-all half-time deadlock with a penalty goal, the Hawks struck late.
A penalty after centre Moses Briggs was speared into the ground in his own quarter seemed innocuous enough but brilliant winger Harold Duncan was able to manufacture something out of nothing and streak 80m to score.
It broke the Magpie defences and Duncan was in again not long after as the Hawks sewed up the final 10 minutes, with big forwards Luke Vakatini and Metui Kalekale charging into the rucks.
The game had see-sawed early.
Inverell led 6-nil early and then Glen Innes took a 10-6 lead before the Hawks were back in front 12-10.
Five minutes from halftime and the Magpies again led 16-12 but the Hawks struck on the stroke of half time, Todd Prince engineering a brilliant try for Tom Nelson.
Locked at 16-all, the first 22 minutes of the second half were scoreless as both sides ripped into each other.
No quarter was asked and none given before Magpie captain-coach Sam Key kicked a penalty goal to give his home side a two-point edge.
Just when they looked capable of ramming home that advantage, Duncan struck with 11 minutes left to streak 80m for a stunning try.
That gave the Hawks a 20-18 lead and, when Duncan crossed again five minutes from full-time, the Magpies could find no more.
“We were under the pump all game – gees, that was good defence,” Hawks coach Peter Stevens said.
Glen Innes coach Sam Key was disappointed his side failed to take advantage of some golden chances.
“We were right in it all day. We just had no patience when we had good field position,” Key said.
For Glen Innes, hooker Jamie Watts was outstanding in attack and defence. Lock Andrew Upton and Key also tried hard all game.
For the Hawks, their big men – Vakatini, Kalekale, Brendan Critchlow and Sam Briggs – were enormous in the final 15 to 20 minutes .
Alex McCosker was clever and organised well and Duncan scored two killer tries while fullback Nick Monckton might have saved three or four tries with some driving defensive tackles on his own line.
It was a sad day for the home side.
It had teams in all four preliminary finals yesterday but just the one, second grade, made it through to this Sunday’s Group 19 grand finals in Moree.
They will play the Boomerangs, Goondiwindi Boars match up against Uralla in the 18s and Ashford’s ladies tag side plays Uralla in the grand final on a day where the Hawks tackle the imperious Moree Boomerangs in first grade.