David Horwitz and Andrew Kellaway combine in Randwick’s 33-31 win over Gordon
Photo: Ric McLallen

by Brendan Bradford –

The Galloping Greens kept their play-off hopes alive with a 20-minute second half point-scoring blitz in a nail-biting 33-31 win over Gordon at Coogee Oval on Saturday.

After trailing 12-6 at halftime and 19-6 a minute after the resumption, the Wicks piled on five tries and 27-points in almost as many minutes before the Highlanders scored a try two minutes after the bell but couldn’t land the conversion to snatch a draw.

Randwick’s prolific front-row try-scoring machine, Tristan Goodbody chimed in with a double as flyhalf Dave Horwitz and fullback Andrew Kellaway combined to keep the Galloping Greens in sixth spot on the table ahead of matches with Warringah and Norths in the last two weeks of competition.

Wicks captain Toa Asa praised his front-row partners Goodbody and Alex Walker as instrumental in the side’s come from behind win.

Will Munro braces for Ruairidh Wilson
Photo: Ric McLallen

“A few of the senior boys like Goodbody and Walker really stepped it up and then guys like Horwitz and Kellaway followed suit,” he said.

“We got a rocket up the backside at halftime and even though we let in that try early in the second half, it just showed the heart and determination to turn it around. We’ve got a talented backline, we’re like a V8 car, but we’ve only got six pistons working at the moment. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks we can get the V8 engine going and make some noise in the finals.”

Gordon’s goal-line defence had been a feature of the side’s game this season, but it went missing at crucial stages on Saturday, said Highlanders coach Geoff Townsend.

“We were poor, we didn’t stick to our game-plan and uncharacteristically in recent times we defended really poorly on our own goal-line and didn’t show much with the ball,” he said.

“We defended well in the first half, but didn’t game manage very well in the second half when we went up 19-6 and they started playing some good footy. We always thought we were a chance at the end, but all the damage was done in that 20-minute spell and conceding that many points in that amount of time is just not on at this level.”

Horwitz opened the scoring with a penalty for the Wicks in the opening stages before making a timely intercept at the other end of the pitch with Gordon hot on attack and the Wicks earning the ire of the referee. Lock Jesse Harris was sent to the bin and Gordon’s dangerous, bustling midfield of Tom Matthews and Lucas Simkin combined for the first five pointer of the afternoon for Matthews after some sustained Highlander pressure.

Finally earning some territory in possession, Randwick’s first attacking foray ended in disaster when halfback Harry Boileau was caught at a ruck, lost the ball and allowed Sione Ala to snaffle out the clean-up attempt and run 60-metres untouched for a 12-3 advantage.

Randwick winger Nathan Roye makes a break
Photo: Ric McLallen

Asa and Gordon prop Nick Fraser were sinbinned after 24-minutes while Simkin went off injured and Horwitz added a second penalty once the full compliments of each team had been restored.

But the Highlanders weren’t the same without Simkin on the pitch.

“He was a massive loss,” said Townsend.

“Our defence is based around our two centres and Lucas is instrumental in that and we missed him when he went off.”

Gordon were on the ball after the break and extended their lead to 19-6 but barely saw Randwick territory for the next 20 minutes.

The men in myrtle green marched downfield for Nathan Roye to score before Goodbody nabbed a quick-fire double and in the blink of an eye the Wicks were up 23-19.

When Ethan Ford crossed the paint in the right corner for his 150th first-grade point, the home side took a 28-19 lead into the final quarter with Horwitz and Kellaway combining on several occasions to keep Gordon trapped in their own half.

Gordon’s own whizz kid, openside Jack Dempsey, scored on the left as the visitors stanched the flow of Randwick points for a while, but Dempsey’s opposite, Tom Connor, ran a great line to evade numerous defenders and take a 33-26 lead into the last seven minutes.

Gordon had the last use of the ball as the clocked ticked over 80-minutes and showed great composure to win a few penalties and finally break the Wicks defence in the right corner two minutes after the bell.

Henry Carmichael, who had kicked three out of four conversions in the match, took an age to line up the kick in windy conditions, but his strike was poor and the attempt sailed harmlessly to the left as the Galloping Greens celebrated.

Randwick 33 (Tristan Goodbody 2, Nathan Roye, Ethan Ford, Tom Connor tries; David Horwitz con, 2 pens) defeated Gordon 31 (Sione Ala 2, Tom Matthews, Jack Dempsey, Xavier McCoy tries; Henry Carmichael 3 cons)