Jets' shoot down Seahawks

Wade Hall for Bilambil runs the ball up against Tugun.

SCOTT POWICK

BILAMBIL Jets beat a tough Tugun Seahawks outfit 22-12 in the Bycroft Cup qualifying final at Bilambil Sports Complex yesterday to progress to Sunday’s major semi-final.

In a match marred with plenty of dropped ball and an all-in brawl, it was the Jets who finished the stronger and will now tackle play the defending premiers Southport.

Tugun opened the scoring in the 12th minute with Tim Tripp kicking a penalty goal from 30 metres out, but their lead was shortlived with Jets second rower Corey Blair diving on a Paul Rolls grubber-kick to score.

Within a minute of their first, the Jets were in again when halfback Tom Dawney put fullback Drew Lanston into a gap to score near the right upright. Again, Dawney added the extras for Bilambil, who led 12-2 after 15 minutes.

Eight minutes before the break Dean Jones burrowed his way over for Tugun to cut the deficit to just four points entering the sheds.

It took Bilambil 16 minutes after half-time to break the Tugun defence again with quick hands seeing centre Mitch Hayden cross untouched in the corner.

Tugun scored in the 69th minute with winger Michael Day scooping up a ball after Jet Shane Joyce mishandled a Tripp bomb.

But, Bilambil hit back with six minutes remaining when Paul Rolls threw the perfect pass to put Mitch Hayden in for his second try with Dawney landing the conversion for Bilambil to lead 22-12.

Bilambil coach Troy McCarthy said he was reasonably happy with the result.

“Our plan was to try to put dents in them through the middle, which we did, but once we had the ascendency we went away from the game plan,” he said.

“To our credit, we made a fair few ball retention errors and we did some great work defending our mistakes.”

In the other major semi-final matches at Tugun next Sunday Bilambil clash with Southport in the reserve grade and Runaway Bay play Currumbin in the under-19s.