Tamworth City's 2004/2005 resurrection has been nothing short of miraculous, recovering from last year's salary cap breach scandal to become one of the most dominant teams in Division Two history. For the Fear, 2004/2005 has been a year of missed opportunities- highlighted by last week's embarassing loss to Carnarvon which cost them second and a spot in the top two. Today's game shapes up as one of the true epics, with both sides packed with in form stars.
Tamworth City Titans Newcastle Fear
1 Joseph Goldstein 1 Stuart Reardon
2 Wendell Sailor 2 Craig Hall
3 John Carlaw 3 Marc Barctholomeusz
4 Graeme Frame 4 Shontayne Hape
5 Anthony Farrah 5 Matthew Petersen
6 Greg Davidson 6 Paul Cooke
7 Kurt Gidley 7 Brett Firman
8 Clint Newton 8 Ryan O'Hara
9 Eron Bates 9 Matthew Diskin ©
10 Jerry Seu Seu 10 Josh Perry
11 Stephen Kearney © 11 Gareth Ellis
12 Tyler Durden 12 Rob Parker
13 Scott Sattler 13 Verity Gunnarsson
++Interchange
14 Robbie Paul 14 Matt Cooke
15 Anthony Farrell 15 Malcolm Alker
16 Keith Galloway 16 Richard Villasanti
17 Shayne Dunley 17 Mark Hughes
The Titans got things underway from the boot of Greg Davidson, and the Fear were under the pump straight away when Matt Diskin dropped the ball after three tackles, but the Titans returned the favour moments later when Graeme Frame lost the ball in a heavy Ryan O'Hara tackle. The scrappy opening continued, with Newcastle the worst offenders as they continually surrendered possession through dropped ball. The Titans didn't punish them as much as they could have however, with Greg Davidson taking the safe option of two points when the Fear crept offside in the sixth. The penalty had it at 2-0 in favour of the home side, who had a packed Scully Park crowd at their backs.
More unimaginative and dangerous play for the Fear lead to the Titans' first try of the match, just eight minutes later. A nothing kick from Paul Cooke surrendered possession to the Titans in good field position, and Stephen Kearney made them pay when he played an unlikely supporting role to a Greg Davidson bust and crashed over next to the left-hand upright. Davidson converted the try he'd created, and the Titans were matching the clock- up eight points to nil after eight minutes of play.
The try should have slapped some sense into the Fear, but the Novocastrians continued to play a 'stupid' brand of football, highlighted by a number of poor last tackle options. Whether it was Brett Firman putting far too much weight on a grubber close to the line, or Richard Villasanti attempting to run the ball on the last, the Fear continually let their foot off the accelerator in good field position. The Titans took just eight minutes of this to capitalise, earning great field position after a Firman clearing kick found touch on the full. This time it was Lebanese sensation Anthony Farrah who got across, screaming on to a pin-point Eron Bates long ball. Adding insult to injury, Farrah ran it around under the sticks to give Davidson a gift two points and his side a handy 14-0 lead after sixteen minutes. The Fear were beginning to look dejected, and the Titans increasingly dangerous.
It may have taken two tries to do it, but the Fear finally realised the predicament they'd placed themselves in, no doubt having flashbacks of watching Wellington's second half demolition of Parramatta earlier in the weekend. Some more inventive sets of six followed, with Firman leaving the kicking duties to Cooke, and Stuart Reardon injecting himself into the backline to create some valuable second phase play. However, the lion's share of possession remained with the home side, who were able to gain plenty of metreage through stupid Newcastle penalties. End to end football became the theme, as both sides flexed their considerable try-scoring muscle to put on a real show. It was the Titans who landed the telling blow of the half, Graeme Frame cutting through some despairing Fear defence and racing twenty five metres virtually untouched before coming to the fullback, Reardon. A big fend sent the English international flying, and Frame celebrated in the in goal as he took his side to a virtually unassailable lead. Davidson's conversion had the Fear in dire straits, down 20-0 with only a few minutes until fulltime.
Tamworth City had an ideal opportunity to seal a victory in the 36th when, after winning a scrum against the feed, they were able to put Kevin Brown across in the corner. Only the desperate defensive efforts of Verity Gunnarson prevented the Titans from going four tries ahead. The Fear needed a morale boosting try, but as the clock ticked down, it became clear the the Titans' defence was equal to anything their opponents could hurl at it.
As the crowd counted down to the break, the Fear found that something special they'd been lacking all game. Shontayne Hape found himself in space after collecting a loose Matt Petersen pass, and galloped downfield in a memorable sixty metre run. Just as Joseph Goldstein looked to have snuffed out the movement, Hape was able to put the ball on the toe, racing away and winning the foot-race to score a miraculous try. The siren sounded as Paul Cooke lined up the conversion, which was waved away.
HALFTIME: Tamworth City 20 lead Newcastle 4
The opening to the second period couldn't have been more exciting, with end to end football keeping the fans on their feet for the opening six or seven minutes of play. Only poor finishing from both sides prevented the scoreline from changing, before a truly inspiring run from Craig Hall lead to the Fear's all important second try. The no-frills winger muscled his way over Anthony Farrah before racing away downfield, the eighty metre try made all the more impressive by the fact he was able to fend off a flying Wendell Sailor. Cooke missed the crucial conversion, leaving his side twelve adrift at 20-8. Still, with over half an hour remaining, the Fear would feel confident of being able to come back from their big halftime deficit and claim victory.
The penalties continued to favour the Titans, but it was Newcastle who looked like coming back and stealing a victory. Their defensive intensity lifting with each set, the Fear began to look like Tamworth City had looked in the first half. When Richard Villasanti bumped and bashed his team to good field position, it was only a matter of time before they got across the line- Marc Barctholomeausz leaping high to claim a Paul Cooke bomb and go down out wide. This time Cooke made no mistake with the conversion, the extra two points lifting his side to within a converted try, trailing 20-14 after 51 minutes.
It was now up to Tamworth City to score next, if they were to stem the flow of points and perhaps break the Fear's morale. The desire was there, but it manifested itself in the form of over-exuberant play, which hurt more than aided the Titans' plans. The 57th minute had Fear fans on the edges of their seats, when video referee Chris Ward was asked to rule on a possible try from the home side. Replays showed both Shayne Dunley and Mark Hughes wrestling for a loose ball in goal, and the ref ruled that Hughes had been able to ground the ball to force the line dropout. The Titans were again denied in the 59th minute, this time because Kevin Brown had dropped the ball in goal. The Titans were proving to be their own worst enemies, and if they continued in the same trend, the Fear would be claiming a huge victory.
The 63rd minute would prove to be a turning point in the match, when the Fear were given a penalty only six metres out from the Titans line. Whilst Mark Fowler bellowed for the tap to be taken, Matt Diskin instead informed Paul Cooke to take the two points. Cooke did his duty, and the Fear moved to within four, trailing 20-16. A try would make for a draw, whilst a conversion could very well prove the deciding factor in the game.
A period of heart-stopping excitement ensued. The Fear were twice repelled as they boldly ran it on the last, only to be dragged down despairingly close to the line. The Titans, not content to play safety first football, continued to try and work the fringe of the ruck with their halves' passing game. The Fear became increasingly frustrated as the game made its way into the final ten, continually denied on the line by desperate Titans' defence. The Titans' worst enemy continued to be the video referee, again denied in the 73rd minute after Greg Davidson had an apparently legitimate try denied for sheparding.
In the 77th minute, the Fear had to throw all of their chips on the table. A promising set saw them camped on the Titans' line with two tackles in hand, but Matt Cooke was unable to hold onto a bullet pass from Brett Firman, and the pressure was once again relieved. Enthusiasm fast became desperation, and as the crowd nervously watched the clock, the Fear's attack deteriorated to 'hot potato' football, which resulted in dropped ball. When Paul Cooke dropped the ball in his own half, the game was well and truly over, Greg Davidson's field goal rubbing salt into the wounds and making it 21-16 at fulltime.
FULLTIME
Tamworth City Titans 21
Stephen Kearney
Graeme Frame
Anthony Farrah
Davidson 4/4
Davidson 1 fg.
defeated
Newcastle Fear 16
Craig Hall
Marc Barctholomeausz
Shontayne Hape
Cooke 2/4
PoM Points
Greg Davidson.....................3
Verity Gunnarsson................2
Joseph Goldstein..................1
Greg Davidson. heh heh Stupid Craig David
Fans after the game were treated to his hit songs, 'Seven Days' and 'What's Your Flava'?
Haha. Poor Greggles.
