Football: Bulls take spoils from Tigers' lair

Mt Barker has lived up to their early hype, trouncing Railways by 40 points in round 2 of the Great Southern Football League at Tigerland on Sunday.

The match, played in tricky conditions, was always going to be a tough affair for the young Tigers who were physically outmuscled from the opening bounce.

A dominant display from the Bulls in the opening term kept the Tigers scoreless while kicking 3.8.

Dylan Judd relished his new-found role through the midfield and was influential while captain Sam Lehmann produced a brilliant effort.

At times the Bulls threw their weight around with several off-the-ball incidents but showed they are here to play in 2011.

A three-point half-time margin to the Bulls had them in high spirits but the Tigers dominated the opening period of the third term but could not apply scoreboard pressure.

They held the ball inside their forward 50 despite kicking up breeze but could manage only an inspirational goal from star Zane Marwick.

Goals to Luke Hammond, Jarrod Gardner and Darcy Lubcke soon after stretched the Bulls lead again.

In one positive, the Tigers outscored their opponents in the final term but it was too little, too late as the Bulls recorded their first win under new coach Matt Taylor.

Taylor praised his side’s attack on the ball.

“For our first hit out, I was very pleased and to come out with a win was really good,” he said.

“When we first got here we didn’t know how to play this ground but we ended up playing the far side. We were hard at the ball and I was very confident going in.”

He described the performances of players Judd, Lehmann and Ben Ireland as match-winning.

Railways co-coach Tim Alvin was not happy when his side was not in possession.

“Our work rate off the ball was not as good as it should have been,” Alvin said.

“We never gave in but they were bigger, stronger and harder at the ball all day.”

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