The Albany Alligators have taken down the Kings United Cobras 4-3 in what was one of the best games played out in Dunedin in some time.
There was drama in the lead-up, with Nic Finlayson’s high-profile off-season switch from Kings to Albany, as well as a goal-keeping crisis, which had the Gators down to their third-choice shot stopper.
Kings were clearly fired up, and raced out the blocks, as Judd Adamson and Daniel Torr scored within the first five minutes of the game to put the Cobras 2-0 up. Finlayson responded right at the start of the second quarter with a PC goal, and that was when the fun really started.
Tensions rose, but it was Kings who initially remained calmer, with a cracking ball on the 45 from Nick Casey deflected home by a diving Angus Loe restoring the two-goal lead for the Cobras. It might have got better too, as Nic Finlayson earned green for hitting the ball away right in front of the Kings bench, but the team in front couldn’t yet extend their lead.
Halftime discussions were intense, and it was Albany who responded in the best possible fashion. Midway through the third quarter, once back on the field, Finlayson scored the cheekiest of no-look deflections, before both Josh Stevens and Tom French slotted dragflicks to flip the game on its head, as Albany took a 4-3 lead into three quarter time.
Tempers were beginning to boil over, as both sides went at it in the final quarter, with Nic Finlayson green carded for a second time. There perhaps could have been more cards, as tackles got worse, and players got more heated, but the highlight of the game came right at the end.
With 30 seconds to go, the ball bounced up in the circle, with Gordy Chatfield lining up to volley goalward, only for the bulldozing Johnny Thorn to come flying in with an incredible tackle, which made a sound that could have been heard in a wide radius. Was it clean? Referee Mark Greenfield felt so, and that was the final result.
The other two Premier Men’s games were one-sided affairs, as both the University Whales and Taieri Tuataras won 9-0 against the University Panthers and Southland Barbarians respectively.
The big women’s game of the day, saw a bit of a boilover, as the Kings United Royals confirmed their status as one of the title favourites, by knocking over the City Highlanders 3-0.
City lost several players in the off-season, and it showed against a ruthless Kings side, who enjoyed toying with an opponent has had the wood over them for some time.
After scoring early, Kings never relented, adding a second deep in the third quarter, before the impressive Hannah Cormack sealed the deal right on full-time.
The University Huskies joined them in the winner’s circle, with a 2-1 win over the Taieri Tigers, whilst Momona thrashed the University Stingrays 10-0.
By Nicholas Friedlander
