Vikings Take Fourth With Last Minute Draw
Finals football came a week early on Saturday at Vikings Oval as Vikings and Kiama competed for the last place in the upcoming Builders Club Premiership Final series. A last minute unconverted try by winger George Rixon salvaged a 15 all draw for Vikings, putting them into next Sunday’s Minor Semi-Final against Camden. Kiama led throughout the hard fought match after scoring two early tries, only to see their season end in the last seconds of the game.

The Cows outstanding second half defensive

Effort probably deserved more reward for the big improvers of this year’s comp, but their inability to add to their half-time points tally told in the end. With Vikings Captain Joel Diggins winning the toss and electing to run into the strong southerly wind it looked as though that may have been the wrong call as the Cows ran in two tries in the first twelve minutes of the match to race to a 12 nil lead. After finding touch from a penalty ten meters out from the Vikings line, the Cow forwards put on a driving maul from which front rower Lindsay King Gee peeled off and barged his way over to register first points. His Fly-half brother Ben King Gee converted the try and Kiama led 7 – 0 after just two minutes of the match.

Ten minutes later Kiama were awarded a penalty five meters short of the Vikings line near where the first try was scored. Choosing to take a scrum instead of a kick their big No.8 Leighton Cowley broke from the scrum with the ball and took defenders over the line with him to score an unconverted try in a similar position as the first. Kiama was enjoying all the momentum of the match as Vikings struggled to mount any real pressure on the Kiama defensive line. Ben King Gee added a penalty goal to increase the lead to 15 – 0 after twenty four minutes.

Sensing their finals hopes were slipping away

Blueys lifted and put the Kiama line under some sustained pressure. With Kiama conceding several penalties in their own half, Vikings managed to put on several phases of play with fullback Andrew Barrett finally breaking the Kiama defense with a strong run from close range to score his sides first points. After the try was scored Kiama player Ben Wade was sin binned after a succession of infringements in the lead up to the try. Michael Maidment converted the try to bring Vikings back into the match at 7 – 15 with three minutes to go to half-time.

With Wade still in the Bin for the opening minutes of the second half, Vikings strived to take advantage of the overlap. Maidment reduced the lead to five with a further penalty goal for Vikings at the forty four minute mark as Vikings camped in the Kiama half of the field. It was however the Kiama defensive effort led by Flanker Michael Kauter that dominated the second half, with Vikings managing to retain more than their share of possession.

Kiama’s task was further complicated when at the sixty minute mark

Prop Nathan Millthorpe was binned as the Cows repelled wave after wave of Blueys attack. Five minutes later he was joined by team mate Matt Cook as Kiama conceded a string of penalties close to their line.

With Vikings winger Ryan Anderson being denied access to the Kiama in goal line on two occasions the Kiama defenders were getting the better of things but Kiama could not mount any sustained attacking effort. Kiama were back to full strength having survived the bin period when Vikings Flanker Troy Tonkin just failed to ground the ball for the breakthrough try as the Cows defense continued to hold on.

It wasn’t until the last minute of the match that Joel

Diggins and Simon Watts were able to combine on a blind side raid to put winger George Rixon over in the clubhouse corner for the equalizer. Maidment for the second time in a fortnight had the chance to win the match with a sideline conversion but the kick went astray leaving the game a draw and allowing Vikings to qualify for next week’s match up with Camden.

It was an enormous second half defensive effort from the Cows to hold their line for all but the last seconds of the match. As the big improvers of the 2014 season Kiama can take plenty of heart out of their performance and look forward to 2015 with some confidence. Michael Kauter, No. 8 Leighton Cowley and hooker Andrew Sulter worked tirelessly for the whole match and were at the forefront of the outstanding Kiama defensive effort.

Vikings live for another effort next week against the defending Premiers who will start the match as favorites after their strong recent form. However Vikings showed plenty of determination to get back into the match after a slow start and will be ready for a big effort in front of their home crowd in next week’s Semi. Simon Watts, Joel Diggins and Michael Ashby continued on with their recent strong form for the Blueys with good efforts also from Josh Heggie, Troy Tonkin and Andrew Barrett.