Tigers battle to bitter end

Cobram reserves coach Mick Verner said his team had put in a four-quarter effort.

“I can’t fault the effort of what the boys did,” he said.

“It was probably just a little bit of polishing at the end of the day between the two teams.”

Conditions were tough, with a strong north-westerly wind sweeping dust and dirt on to the ground.

The Tigers kicked two goals early in the first term, but it wasn’t long before the Congupna players found their feet and booted four majors of their own to open a 15-point lead at the first break.

A right-foot snap by Spiros Vourgaslis just before the siren capped a strong second-term performance by the Tigers and put them back within two goals of Congupna at half-time.

Tiger Lucas Roberts was putting on a tackling master class, winning the footy from Congupna’s Jack Hicks late in the third quarter.

Following Roberts’ lead, vice-captain Chase Hardwidge took a saving defensive mark late in the term as the Road threatened to put the game to bed. As it was, the Tigers trailed by 22 points at the last change.

The fourth quarter saw the Tigers hang in there until Congupna goaled with 16 minutes gone.

Thomas Corso converted after a free kick to bring the Tigers back to within biting distance.

But soon after Congupna’s Sam Drummond burst through a pack and sent the footy forward. Congupna scored, widening the margin to 21 points.

A late goal by Lucas Roberts raised Cobram hopes, but it was too little, too late.

Cobram’s best players were Roberts, Vourgaslis, Harrison Bell, Corso, Tarrynt Neville, and Matthew Sorrenti.

Vourgaslis ended a strong season with four goals for Cobram.

Cobram reserves coach Mick Verner said it was a game of fine margins.

“It was probably those little lapses within the game that probably cost us,” he said.

Verner said there were a few Cobram players who stood out.

“Lucas Roberts running through the midfield played on-ball all day. Spiros down forward kicked a good chunk of our score. Lachie Hyde down back was solid as always.

“I was pretty happy when we got the momentum rolling in the first quarter. I was happy with the situation of the game at half time — I thought we could go over the top of them. We’ve come back during three-quarter time three or four times this year. We did everything right defensively in the last quarter, we just couldn’t put the score on the scoreboard. That happens, and it settled out to a 15-point loss in the end.”

Assistant coach Benjamin Roca said the club was in a strong position going into next season.

“We’ve played three finals now. We’re yet to win one, but I think we’re very close,” Roca said.

“It’s onwards and upwards. Let’s not stop here. We’ve got a very good chance to do some damage next year.”