First grade

OLD Bar have always proved to be difficult opponents for the Tigers in previous Premier League encounters, and so it proved again on Saturday. 

The game had barely settled into any sort of rhythm when Old Bar fortuitously found themselves in front inside five minutes when a dangerously taken corner kick skimmed through everybody and hit the Tigers’ Codey Chick, who could do nothing as the ball deflected off him and into the goal. 

From then on it was only rarely that James McBride would be troubled in the Tigers’ goal, as the home side dominated possession to create multiple scoring chances throughout the first half. 

The Tigers had to deal with the early blow of losing midfield star Dylan Nash to a suspected medial ligament injury, which brought Joey Newman in after little more than 10 minutes gone. Some very slick passing between Newman, Minors, Scarff and Yeates saw a great chance fashioned for Jake Camilleri, but his close range effort was brilliantly saved by the Old Bar keeper who was keeping his team in the contest. 

Chris Ceccato also missed from close range and, as the chances came and went, one started to wonder if the Tigers would ever score. When Camilleri had to go off injured as well, it seemed nothing would go right for the home side. 

At halftime the Tigers were encouraged to continue with their excellent passing game, and that the breakthrough would come. Old Bar was limited to only playing on the counter in the second half, but their defence was dogged, as they dropped deep with at times nine players in their penalty area. McBride was called into action to tip over a thunderous long-range free kick, but that was pretty much it for the Tigers’ keeper. 

As the game wound into the last 10 minutes, just when it really seemed as though the Tigers would never score, Minors was released into space out wide and hit a pinpoint accurate cross onto the head of Jack Yeates, who made no mistake to bring the Tigers level. From then until the end of the game the Tigers were unrelenting in their pursuit of a winner, and it seemed they would grab all three points when Yeates put Kianou through, but the Bar keeper was up to the task again, and with that the game finished TFFC Tigers 1 Old Bar 1. 

Jack Yeates was awarded players’ player for another dominant performance, with Mitch Minors, Peter Goonan and Joey Newman all picking up points. The Tigers are away to Port Saints next Saturday and will look to improve on their first round showing.

“Even the Old Bar coach admitted they had all the luck today,” coach Jonathon Newman said. 

“Their goalkeeper was clearly the best player on the park, and kept his team in it. We must become more clinical with our finishing to take full advantage of games like this. We will be working on this at training this week, that’s for sure.”

Reserve grade

AFTER throwing away three points last week against Macleay Valley Rangers, the Tigers reserves were keen to re-assert themselves in the top two of the reserve grade table by beating an Old Bar side which was sitting mid-table going into the round. The Tigers didn’t start well though, with a fairly flat performance continuing throughout the first half. Both teams struggled to deal with the very slick surface, and found it difficult to build much constructive play. At the half-time break, with the score nil all, the Tigers coaching group asked for more effort and intensity and to their credit the Tigers lifted in the second stanza. Eventually the pressure told, with Jim Jenkins putting the Tigers in front from close range, but then having to be helped from the field as he was stomped on in the process of scoring. The Tigers threw on their fresh bench players and, despite a late surge from Old Bar, managed to hold them out to grab all three points. Cale McCarthy, in the unfamiliar position of central defence, was players’ player and the game finished TFFC Tigers 1 Old Bar 0.