SUPPORTERS of the Laurieton Hotel Stingrays brave enough to battle the elements on 18 July celebrated the return of Friday night footy and an emphatic victory for their team.
In an intense matchup the Stingrays displayed great tenacity in defeating the Lower Macleay Magpies 36-28 at a windswept Laurieton oval.
The Magpies started strong, with forward Jacob Cummins driving straight through the Stingrays pack to score directly under the black dot, giving his team an early 6-0 lead.
Striking back, Jacob Humphreys from the Stingrays crashed over the line, with Grant Gardner’s kick levelling the scores momentarily.
Veteran star Chris Piper then delivered with two consecutive tries for the Stingrays, propelling his team to an 18-6 lead.
Fighting back, the Magpies’ Mitchell Dixon barrelled across the line, reducing the deficit to 18-12.
As the clock ticked down towards half time Jordan Smith found the tryline out wide, providing the Stingrays a 12 point lead as the teams headed into the shed.
Despite their lead the Stingrays were far from home with the Magpies staging a fierce comeback, capitalising on the wind at their backs.
Their efforts paid off, resulting in two tries to Ethan Cooper and a second for Jacob Cummins.
The Stingrays matched their efforts however, with tries from Jake Arndell and Jacob Humphreys pushing the final score to 36-28 on the full-time buzzer.
Stingrays Vice Captain Tieler Gardner expressed pride in the team’s resilience and commitment, noting the challenging weather conditions .
“It was a gutsy win from the boys in terrible cold and wet conditions,” Gardner stated.
“But they hung on right to the end and got the job done.
“I am very proud of the boys.”
By Kim AMBROSE
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