Tigers taught lesson
NOOSA was given a reality check by a Wilston Grange side that came to the Coast ready to play.
The Tigers had been progressing nicely before the round-10 Pineapple Hotel Cup clash, having lost only two games, and were looking for a third straight win.
But Wilston Grange scored the first of its 15 majors after about a minute of play and was never headed.
Noosa rallied in the final term, when it booted four goals, but the Gorillas always had the home side's measure.
Tigers coach Wayne Fletcher said his players paid the price for being too erratic.
"Too many players were a bit inconsistent with their effort early in the game," he said.
"To their credit they fought it out till the end, but we were always going to be up against it.
"Trying to play catch-up footy when you're five goals down at three-quarter time … well, it's always going to be a tough ask."
The tone of the contest was set early when the Gorillas booted the first three majors of the match.
As it did for the entire match, Noosa stayed in the contest by responding - this time with two first-quarter majors.
The Tigers trailed by 14 points going into the second quarter.
Wilston Grange extended that margin with two early second-quarter goals and went on to boot four majors for the term compared to Noosa's three.
The half-time score was 8.7 (55) to 5.7 (37).
Wilston Grange kicked the first two six-pointers of the third quarter and took a 28-point lead into the final term.
Tigers full-forward Danny Brewster bagged six majors to be the match's leading goal-scorer, and Dean Warren and Steven Brittain both scored four goals for the Gorillas.
Chasing its third successive premiership, Noosa remains in third place on the ladder.
Fourth-placed Wilston Grange is equal with the Tigers on points and those sides are four points clear of fifth-placed Surfers Paradise and eight points behind competition leader Western Magpies.
Fletcher paid credit to the Gorillas and labelled them a good football team.
"They probably had a bit of aerial strength out there," he said.
"But I think the way we used the ball at times probably contributed to them being able to take those marks.
"Until the last quarter we struggled to get multiple goals, but I thought our defence was solid.
"We'll get better for the lesson."
Fletcher gave his players a dressing-room spray after the match and tried to get their minds focused on Noosa's next match - a grand final replay with second-placed Palm Beach Currumbin.
FINAL SCORE
WILSTON GRANGE
15.15 (105)
(S Brittain 4, D Warren 4, M Stevens, M Trewhella, S Galloway, G Armstrong, G McIvor, D Campbell, D Collins goals)
NOOSA
11.13 (79)
(D Brewster 6, B Duke 2, B Durdin, Z Smith, J Paterson goals)
