The Yass Golf Club Magpies bounced back from their defeat at the hands of the Roos the previous week with a hard fought 24-12 win over the Queanbeyan Blues last Saturday at Seiffert Oval.
The win secured the Magpies third position on the premiership table with two rounds to play. With third position comes a home semi-final that will pack Walker Park in three weeks time.
The Magpies certainly had to dig deep against a Blues side that is in a dog-fight for the fourth and last spot in the finals.
Queanbeyan was probably the better side during a tight first half but Yass led 6-0 on the scoreboard.
Half Scott Naughton, who earlier saved a certain Blues try with a desperate tackle, provided the spark for the lone try of the half.
At the 25-minute mark, Naughton weaved through the defence with an incisive run before sending younger brother Steve to the try line.
On the resumption, Naughton scored the second try himself when he dummied and slipped past defenders close to the try line.
The Blues hit back with a converted try to make it 10-6 but Yass started to take control of proceedings.
Tries to Andrew Swaffield and Brendan Anderson saw the Magpies extend their lead to 20-6, before another Blues converted try gave the home side some hope.
The Magpies sealed victory five minutes from time when Naughton set off on a jinking cross-field run which drew in defenders creating space for his winger Halle Teofilo to score in the corner.
Apart from Naughton, who had a big game, his halves partner Tim Warden also stood up in a dominant display. Winger Junior Vatikani was also prominent.
Yass returns home this Saturday when the side hosts the Woden Rams who are also eyeing off fourth position.
They will then complete the regular season when they play the top placed Belconnen Scholars away in the final round.
The points table shows the Scholars (29 points), Roos (28) and Magpies (24) who will definitely be contesting the finals with the Blues (18), Bulls (16) and Rams (16) all still in the hunt.
Yass Magpies 24 (Steve Naughton, Scott Naughton, Swaffield, Anderson, Teofilo Tries, Warden 2 goals) def Queanbeyan Blues 12.
The Yass Magpies reserve grade side’s five-game winning streak was abruptly brought to an end, going down 40-10 to the Queanbeyan Blues.
The loss severely dented the team’s semi-final aspirations as they now sit three points outside the top four with two rounds to play. The Magpies must defeat the Woden Rams this weekend and then hope the Rams go down to the lowly Bushrangers in the last round to make it.
The points table at present has Goulburn (24) and the Roo’s (22) assured of semi-final football with the Blues (21), Rams (21) and Yass (18) the only other sides that can make it.
The Yass Magpies under 18s also went down 28-20 to the Queanbeyan Blues which means their season is effectively over.
The Magpies put in a big effort in a game they had to win to have any hope of staying in finals contention. But they were outplayed and Queanbeyan snuck home.
