By Terry Wilson
Image: Taylor Earnshaw Photography
Ipswich run all over the Saints
Second semi-final: Ipswich 12.11 (83) d Carrara 7.4 (48).
WITH a mantra of run, run, run and run some more, Ipswich are the first team into the Queensland Football Association (QFA) Division 3 grand final.
Ipswich qualified for the premiership decider by beating Carrara by 12.11 (83) to 7.6 (48) at Limestone Park on Saturday and now have this weekend off when Carrara take on Kedron in the preliminary final.
The final 33-point margin came as something of a surprise given there was just the one point in it (7.7 to 7.6) at three-quarter time.
But that was when the Ipswich game plan kicked in.
Coach Kym Mansell had hoped his younger players’ speed and mobility would eventually get the Saints on roomy Limestone Park and that’s just what happened.
“We knew we had to stick with them and eventually the game would break open,” Mansell said.
“The key words were run, run, run and activity and we had to keep that up in the last quarter.”
The end result was five goals to nothing in the final stanza.
Mansell said his two wingers Jack Boston and Hayden Cathew-Zimmer, both former Gold Coast players, were outstanding in the run area and ex-Tasmanian Trent McCrossan had a big game in the middle.
For Carrara, coach Nick Pearson said Jordie Grainger and Ben Spittle were his best after they worked hard throughout.
Down at Kianawah Road, Kedron downed Wynnum by 16.12 (108) to 10.16 (74) in the knockout first semi-final.
First semi-final: Kedron 16.12 (108) d Wynnum 10.14 (74).
Lions playing coach Daniel Duffield had an outstanding game and was a clear best-on-ground on the day.
Other keys for the Lions were small forward Jeremy Olman with three goals and Joseph Holman.
Wynnum’s best were Nick Jarvis, Zane Wakely and Dane Sutherland.
In reserve grade, Kedron are through to the grand final after beating Redcliffe by 11.6 (72) to 8.6 (54) in the second semi-final. This was the first time the Tigers have been beaten all year!
Redcliffe now meet Ipswich in the preliminary final next week after thrashing Wynnum by 21.15 (141) to 5.4 (34) in the knockout semi.
