IN overcast conditions and with the threat of rain, Jervois and Imperials clashed at Jervois on Saturday.
With both teams not having won for a few games, a win leading into the finals was the prize on offer.
Imps kicked to the river end with the aid of the breeze, but it was Jervois who scored first when Ty Burkett bustled his way forward and goaled from close in.
With the ground damp and slippery, scrambly football was the order of the day.
Josh Charles goaled for Imps 10 minutes into the quarter as neither team could gain the ascendancy.
Michael Sumner marked and goaled at the 17-minute mark, but it wasn’t until he goaled twice in two minutes in the time-on period that Imps had any great advantage. When the quarter time siren sounded, Imps had a handy 19-point lead.
The second quarter started with early goals to both teams.
Imps were moving the ball forward with more system and Jervois were making many easy mistakes.
It wasn’t until mid-quarter with the move of Trevor Rigney to the midfield that Jervois got the spark it needed.
Rigney goaled twice in less than two mins, the second, taking the ball from the centre ruck contest and dodging two opponents, having two bounces and goaling from 50 metres.
Jervois lifted after this and a late goal to Ben Woodhouse saw the scores tied at 5.4 each at the half-time break.
The game hadn’t reached any great heights as a spectacle but the contest was good as both teams’ players threw themselves at the ball.
Imps opened the third term with a goal in the first minute, it took another 10 mins before either team goaled.
Jervois managed three goals in five minutes and appeared to be gaining the ascendancy until a great snap from Daniel Girdham gave Imps their seventh goal.
When Michael Sumner soccered through a goal at the 24-minute mark, his fifth for the game, the margin was back to two points and the scene was set for a torrid last quarter.
From the first bounce of the last quarter Jervois took control.
Imperials struggled to get passed half-forward as the Jervois defence continually cut off Imperials’ forward thrusts and rebounded the ball back into Jervois’ forward lines.
Reid Beeching went to full forward and controlled the forward area but couldn’t convert.
When he finally goaled at the halfway mark of the quarter Jervois had kicked eleven goals and were 23 points clear.
A late goal to Matt Gogel was Imps’ only score for the final quarter.
Jervois ran out 18-point winners in what was a tough physical game.
An interesting lead into next week’s finals where the two teams will clash again.
Best players for Jervois were James Jagodnik, Ben Woodhouse, Zac Ewer, Jeremy Rigney and Brett Gazzola.
For Imps Ryan Eyre, Ben Quast, Jason Puiatti, Michael Sumner and Dion Newell all played well.
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