Magpies deliver thrashing
Glen Innes Magpies avenged for back-to-back losses against Moree Boars and Tingha Tigers in emphatic fashion, scoring nearly 100 points in a drubbing of Armidale Rams.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A host of the side’s injured players returned for the round 11 encounter which coincided with their return to form as they scored 96 unanswered points.
Five minutes in, the Magpies’ scoring rampage started when Buster Chard made his way over the line.
The points kept coming for the hosts, who led 56-nil at the break.
The misery continued for Armidale in the second term, with Glen Innes piling on another forty points and the visitors unable to post a reply.
Jayden Ehsman amassed 44 points including five tries while Ace Holliss snagged a hat-trick.
Glen Innes coach Nick Ehsman said it was a relief to get the win and attributed maintaining possession as being key to the massive margin.
“It was just holding the ball,” he said.
“That was won it and everyone stuck in for it and wanted the win.
“It was just pleasing, you could see it at half-time, they wanted to go out there and keep that foot on the throat.
“We got a few players back as well.
“We had a full bench which we hadn't had since the start of the year.”
The whole team stood up, but Ehsman highlighted a couple of performances.
“Everyone played well and a couple of juniors, young Chardy played with his dad,” he said.
“Jayden was awesome.
“We had young Jack Miller back from the army, he played well.”
There are seven rounds remaining in the Group 19 competition and Glen Innes’ run home isn’t an easy one.
Discounting the round 15 bye, their next four encounters are against the competition’s top teams in MacIntyre, Warialda, Moree Boomerangs and Narwan.
The Magpies are still within reaching distance of the semi-finals and will aim to continue on a winning run with this Saturday’s game against the Warriors.
“It is good to get that bit of confidence and we can hopefully get out there and give them a go,” Ehsman said.
“They are probably the benchmark.
“We lost by six against them at the start of year so hopefully we can get one up.”
“We can still make the finals, we just have to string a couple of wins together.”
Ladies win with late surge
Glen Innes’ ladies league tag side backed up from their triumph over ladder leaders Tingha last week to once again assert themselves as the competition frontrunners when they took on Armidale Rams.
Missing a number of their starting players, the Magpies opened up the scoring in the second half to take the game away from the third-placed Rams.
The teams couldn’t be split after the opening 25 minutes and were neck-and-neck at 4-all with Glen Innes’ Kate Fakes and Armidale’s Taneika Landsborough the tryscorers.
Co-coach David Biddle lamented both teams were unimpressive in the opening half and needed to complete sets and get back to basics.
“First half it was fundamentals,” he said.
“Errors, everyone dropped the ball.
“They did it, we did it and it was 4-all at half-time.
“We regrouped and told them to play the basic game, do all the fundamentals and they did.”
Both teams stepped up in the second half but it was the homeside who managed to edge in front.
They added another four tries to Armidale’s two to win the game 24-16.
Biddle lauded the second half performance of his team and said they dug in to get the job done.
“We didn't have our leaders out there today,” he said.
“It was a gutsy effort, they won well.”
This Saturday’s game will be another test for the side who will come up against fifth-placed McIntyre.
“That will be hard,” Biddle said.
“We beat them here earlier but they are going alright.
“They will be hard out there at home.
“We have to travel out there and then we have Warialda here.”
Glen Innes Magpies 24: Kate Fakes, Megg Landers, Madison McLelland, Bianca Grob, Ebony Gallagher tries; Landers 2 goals defeated Armidale Rams 16: Hayley Ford 2, Taneika Landsborough tries; Ford 2 goals.
The under 18s came up against a 10-man Armidale side.
They were unlucky to lose 36-22.
In the reserve grade game, Glen Innes were behind on the scoreboard early but hit back in formidable fashion.
Points were aplenty for the side as they rampaged to a 42-12 win over the Rams.