With the game well and truly won, Jeff Montebello rubs salt into Nanango’s wounds
Shannon Smallwood evades a tackle to score for the Timbertowners

August 7, 2012

The Blackbutt Timbertowners thumped the Stags 76-24 on Saturday … but that’s not the main story from this Premier League match played in Nanango.

The real highlight was Bill Mulcahy, the plucky 52-year-old Stags’ player who has been helping to keep the team on the field this season.

Bill scored a try in the corner … his first in 12 years. Congratulations Bill! (sadly, we didn’t get a photo).

Apart from this – and another good performance from the Stags’ No 6, Pat McCallum, who scored three tries and never stopped trying – Nanango supporters didn’t have much to smile about at the end of the match, their last home game of the season.

Blackbutt opened the scoring three minutes after the kick-off, and then followed it up with two more tries in just two minutes.

With the score at 16-0, and the game just 13 minutes old, McCallum crossed for his first try, restoring a bit of Nanango pride.

Two minutes later, Stags’ fans were applauding again after Brodie English threw a huge dummy which suckered in the Blackbutt defenders before passing to McCallum for his second try.

McCallum converted his own try, and the score was now looking much more respectable for the home team: Blackbutt 16, Nanango 10.

But Blackbutt scored four more times in the last 20 minutes of the first half – only interrupted by Mulcahy’s try six minutes from the half-time siren.

At the break, the score was Blackbutt 36, Nanango 14.

Blackbutt resumed the second half in similar fashion, with three converted tries in seven minutes, before McCallum grabbed the ball for Nanango and ran away to score his third try (which he then converted).

Tensions flared briefly mid-field and two players – one from each side – were marched for 10 minutes – but nothing could stop the Timbertowners’ momentum.

Dylan Gilliland immediately scored for Blackbutt and Andrew Hewitt converted, taking the score to 60-20.

Blackbutt had three more tries in them – and Nanango one – before the full-time siren ended a very long match for the Stags.

Scorers for Blackbutt were Keiran Harvey 3, Shannon Smallwood 2, Cameron Hewitt 2, Dylan Gilliland 2, Harley Farrer, Jamie White,  Dylan Farrer, Andrew Hewitt, and Jeff Montebello. Goals to Andrew Hewitt 8, Michael Davies 1, and Dylan Gilliland 1,

Scorers for Nanango were Pat McCallum 3, Bill Mulcahy and Sam Warren. Goals to Pat McCallum 2

Pat McCallum scores his third try of the game for the Stags

* * *

With four minutes to go, Josh Robertson emphasises Central Burnett’s U16s win with another try

In the U16s, the Central Burnett Brumbies also proved too strong for the Nanango Stags.

The full-time score was 42-28.

For Central Burnett, Michael Medew scored a triple, with single tries to Jeff Vaughan, Dylan Wagner, Josh Robertson, Tim Zhal, Josh Emmeton and Ben Aho. Ben Kenny, Blake Linsket and Aaron Graham all kicked a goal.

For the Stags, Josh Ehrlich scored three tries, with Jack Warden and Sam Greaves each picking up one. Brodie Cortes kicked three goals and Rhyse Simpson, one.

The Stags faced an enthusiastic Central Burnett Brumbies in the U16s
Nanango tried hard but weren’t strong enough in the U16s match against the Brumbies

* * *

Results

Nanango v Central Burnett (at Nanango)
U12s 32-4
U14s 28-14
U16s 29-42

Nanango v Blackbutt (at Nanango)
A Grade 24-76

Murgon v Wondai (at Murgon)
U12s 76-0
U14s 26-12
A Grade 34-56

Cherbourg v Kingaroy (at Cherbourg)
U12s 18-12
U14s Kingaroy forfeited
U16s Kingaroy forfeited
A Grade 26-50