Above: Singrays firebrand Luke Potts gives Gippsland Power’s Ben Ross a hard way to go in Sunday’s TAC Cup grand final replay at Morwell.DANDENONG Stingrays opened the season with a hardfought sixpoint win over reigning premiers the Gippsland Power in the roundone TAC Cup clash at Morwell on Saturday.
Kicking into a twotothreegoal breeze, the Stingrays managed two to the Powers’ four goals.
It went into the first change with renewed confidence after being soundly beaten by the Power by 10 goals in a practice match only two weeks ago.
The midfield work rate of the Stingrays smalls was excellent, as was the rebound from the backline.
The second quarter was where the Stingrays won the game.
Kicking six goals to the Powers’ one had the Stingrays in front by a valuable three goals at the long break.
Russell Gabriel was on top at fullforward with three firsthalf goals, Matt Robinson led from the front across halfforward and Curtis Barker, Ziggie Alwan, Khalid Foggi, James Magner and Pas Saccuzzo were on top in the smallman department.
Solid contributions from bottomage players Luke Potts and Josh Collie and a back half led by newcomers Luke Clark and Dale Whelan had the Stingrays well poised at half time. The third quarter saw the home team throw everything at the Stingrays and six goals to two to the Power had them in front by a single goal at threequarter time.
The effort that the Power players had to put into the third term to bridge the Stingrays’ lead was to be a telling factor in the torrid last quarter.
The Power backline held sway for much of the last term, but when the game had to be won, it was the Stingrays who had the more run in their legs.
A threegoaltoone last term saw the Stingrays prevail in what was an excellent game for both teams.
Scores: Stingrays 13.10.88 d Gippsland Power 12.10.82.
Goals: Stingrays: Gabriel 4, Barker 2, Robinson 2, Foggi, Potts, Collie, Magner, Whelan, 1.
Best: Stingrays: Robinson, Gabriel, Clark, Barker, Alwan, Foggi.
