Saints prove pre-season form counts for nothing as they grind out an epic first ECAFL victory

ECAFL Round 1, May 3rd 2009

Montréal Saints 3.0 7.0 8.0 9.1 (55) defeated
Laval Bombers 1.3 4.6 6.11 7.11 (53)

GoalKickers: Saints - R.Shaughnessy 4, E.Vivian 2, N.Switzer 2, A.Williams 1.
Bombers - C.Stark 4, J-R.Theis 2, D.Zelniker 1.

Best Players: Saints - Shuagnessy, Frost, Switzer, Vivian, Leiva
Bombers - Stark, Theis, Blight, Krief, Zelniker.

The opening game of the ECAFL season kicked off in sensational fashion as a late charging Bombers outfit fell short of the efficient Saints.

With a light breeze favouring the Bombers end the game started at a feverish pace. After a tough first few minutes it was the Saints Nick Switzer who slotted through his first ever goal giving the Saints an early lead. The quarter would hold much the same tempo, The Bombers wasting their opportunities with the wind, the Saints adding goals through Emlyn Vivian and Anthony Williams and as the siren blew for quarter time the Bombers had managed only one goal from Cam Stark and trailled by 9 points.

With the wind at their backs and the perfect 1st quarter behind them the Saints came out firing in the second. Fred Frost controlled the backline suffocating any attempts the Bombers made to score, and with the midfield of Ronan Shaughnessy, Emlyn Vivian and Gabriel Leiva running wild the Saints were starting to take a stranglehold on the game. Nick Switzer added a highlight reel goal followed by goals to Vivian and Shaughnessy and the the lead had blown out to over 4 goals. The Bombers fought back strong in the latter part of the quarter, Stark adding goal number 2 and 3 for the game and with help from classy midfielder Shane Blight the red and black were again slowly working themselves back into the game. Irish sensation Shaughnessy was proving a nightmare for the Bombers taggers though, his dash through the centre was the catalyst for much of the Saints offence. Shaughnessy broke clear of a tackle heading towards half time and kicked his second to swing the momentum back to the Saints. Trailing by 18 points Bomber David Zelniker gained possesion close to goal as the siren sounded and lined up for a shot on goal that could prove crucial in the outcome of the game. The ball sailed through dead centre and the Saints lead was cut to 12 at the half time break.

The Bombers swung some changes at the break, the Saints Shaughnessy was heavily tagged and the elusive Switzer was more closey guarded as the second half got underway. Bombers ruckman Theis who had been fantastic all day added a goal of his own and the Bombers had clawed to within a single kick early in the quarter. The momentum had swung back to the Bombers but they still had trouble converting due to the huge amount of pressure laid on from Fred Frost's rock solid defense. The yips still hadn't left the Bomber camp as Blight and Stark missed some golden chances in front of goal. With some help from Dave Wilson, Shaughnessy put his 3rd of the game through the big sticks and the game had become a neck and neck dog fight. The quarter ended with the Saints leading 8.0 (48) to the Bombers 6.11 (47). 8 scoring shots to 17 but the Saints through excellent conversion led the way.

Needing to outscore the Saints into the wind the Bombers went for a more defensive set-up in the last, Sebastien Desgroseillers moved up forward for the Bombers as their focal point and the Saints stuck with the set-up that had won them 2 out of 3 quarters. In a titanic struggle the Saints drew first blood, Shaughnessy kicked his 4th of the afternoon giving the Saints a little bit of breathing space. Not to be outdone the Bombers struck back through James-Robert Theis, his 2nd of the day drawing them within a point of the Saints again. In a scrappy last quarter of desperate footy the Saints went forward again

- a perfect snap from a pack 30 metres out heading towards the goal line and a certain victory fo r the Saints was touched on the line by a diving Anderson for the Bombers. Two points down wi th less than 2 minutes to go Anderson moved the ball quickly back into play. The link up through the middle from Theis, Blight and Stark worked to perfection as the Bombers surged forward looking for Kreif and Zelniker up front. Less than 30 seconds to go in the match the ball was loose 25 metres from the Bombers goal, a quick handpass was shot out to a Bombers playerand the ball was put to boot but Alex Rochette managed to smother the ball all but ending the Bombers only chance of a win. The siren sounded and the Saints had escaped with a magnificent 2 point victory.