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Cottesloe's golden run came to an end at Allen Park today with a gritty, wet weather 17-11 loss to Associates in the RugbyWA club competition match of the week, sponsored by KWIK Crane and Transport Hire.
The premiers led briefly in the opening minutes but came undone with an error-strewn performance in the face of relentless harassment from a determined Associates team, cheered on by a vocal home crowd.
Soaks led 11-8 at the break after an inspired first half of no-nonsense commitment, and hammered the nail home in a virtually identical second half to lock the competition leaders out of the game.
Nothing seemed less likely as the match opened, Cottesloe powering into the start and and trapping Soaks in their half, hammering their line with repeated phases. The pressure told after seven minutes when wing Tobias Hoskins finished off a back line movement with a try in the corner. Flyhalf Dave Cloete missed the sideline conversion but the visitors had an early 5-0 lead.
But Soaks worked back to play the next ten minutes in Cott's half, halfback Todd Lewis landing the final of three penalty goal attempts after 17 minutes to close in 5-3 -- although to be fair Lewis is Associates' third string goal kicker: both the others being out with injury.
Lewis missed his fourth goal kick minutes after but Soaks stayed on attack and Cott's discipline issues continued, veteran goal-kicking prop Damien Elton taking up duty with the boot to land another angled penalty to steal the lead 6-5.
Soaks were on fire now and threw everything at the rattled Cottesloe team, an impromptu rolling maul pouring through for a try to inside centre Jason Missen. Elton missed the conversion but the home side had the game by the throat 11-5 on the half hour.
Cottesloe lifted in the final ten minutes to pressure Soaks in their half but repeatedly undid their good work with errors, allowing Soaks to move out of danger. Eventually Cloete received a kickable penalty and obliged with the points, the home side taking an 11-8 lead into the break, which followed immediately.
Soaks opened the second spell with plenty of hustle and bustle, helped by Cottesloe with more errors -- even the normally immaculate Seagulls lineout suffered. But some enterprising running out wide took Cott into range and predictably Associates conceded a penalty for offside, Cloete goaling the moderate shot easily to draw even at 11-11 after five minutes.
The advantage was short-lived, as Soaks were soon back down in Cottesloe's 22 for Elton to reply in kind with a sitter after 12 minutes.
The struggle continued in occasional rain, a battle royal taking place in the scrums with both sides having their moments, and Soaks losing flanker Alex Rovira to the sin bin for repeated infringements after 16 minutes.
As the game entered its final quarter the fired-up Soaks team poured on the pressure and pushed Cott back in their 22. Elton added another penalty goal after a ruck infringement with 12 minutes to play to push the home side out to 17-11.
Cottesloe struggled mightily but with intelligent kicking and slow and steady work in the forwards, Soaks kept play down in the Seagulls' 22 to apply a stranglehold on the game with time running out.
The clock ticked down as Associates ground away relentlessly on a stymied Cottesloe team until full time, and the home crowd celebrated the taking of a prize scalp.
In other games, Palmyra downed University 27-20 at McGillivray Oval, Wanneroo defeated Wests Subiaco 24-13 at Kingsway, Kalamunda defeated Perth Bayswater 27-14 at Hartfield and Nedlands had a solid win over Rockingham 44-26 at Lark Hill.
- Rick Boyd
http://rugbywa.com.au/news/article,58347.html
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