Bombers put Saints season on the ropes with a bruising 48 point victory

Sunday 28th June 2009
ECAFL ROUND 4

Laval Bombers 2.4 7.4 14.7 18.9 (117)

Montreal Saints 4.3 7.5 9.6 10.9 (69)

Goalkickers
Saints: R.Shaughnessy 4, M.Lacy 2, A.Williams 2, G.Leiva 2.
Bombers: J-R.Theis 8, C.Stark 5, D.Coyne 2, S.Desgroseilliers 1, Veljko 1, L.Bertrand 1.

The Laval Bombers put a stranglehold on top position in the ECAFL running all over the top of a tiring Saints outfit in Laval today.

For the first time all year the Saints looked to have their best team on paper ready to play. It was the usually committed Bombers that would be struggling for numbers, so much so that Saint Luc Bertrand was asked to pull on a red and black jersey for the Bombers.
Saints rookie ruckman Jean-Francois was thrown into the ruck for his first game and showed right away he'd be a player to watch, helping the Saints win the early ball from the middle. Ronan Shaughnessy was being his usual destructive self, driving the Saints forward. Early goals to Anthony Williams and Shaughnessy gave the Saints a slight edge as the Bombers fought back with a goal of their own to on-ball magician Cam Stark. Williams was starting to dominate up forward as the Bombers loose checking gave Montreal plenty of room to drive the ball forward time and time again. Williams added a second goal and with Fred Frost and Mick Lacy controlling the half-back line for the Saints the early signs were looking bad for the shell shocked Bombers who headed into the first break down by 11 points.

With Shane Blight now at the helm of the Bombers, the Red and Black army were given their instructions while Anthony Williams looked to further extend the lead of the Saints. Luc Bertrand started sensationally in the second. Starting to use his experience against his rookie counterpart to his advantage. Bertrand in the ruck was winning first ball to his on-ball brigade, Cam Stark feeding James-Robert Theis up forward while adding a few majors of his own. Anthony Williams went down early in the quarter with a knee injury and the Saints focal point to goal was gone. Enter Gabriel Leiva. The racehorse half-forward stepped up kicking two goals of his own leading his team into half-time in front by a single point.

With Williams on the side line Bombers coach Shane Blight swung changes to capatilize on the Saints misfortune. Releasing Declan Coyne who had been give the role of minding the Saints spearhead up until that stage. As the second half got underway it seemed the Saints weren't going to suffer from the loss of Williams, Mick Lacy added a goal to extend the lead to 6, another goal to Lacy shortly after had the Saints 12 points up with all the momentum. With the score at 59 to 47 the Bombers seemingly 'woke up' and moved up a gear dominating the middle and half-back. Bertrand sensational in the ruck had excellent support from Sebastien Desgroseilliers on the half back. Stark and Coyne cut the Saints to peices while Theis up forward had slotted through 3 goals for the quarter, bringing his tally to 6 for the day as the Bombers slammed home 7 unanswered goals.

Now down by 31 heading into the last, Williams knowing full well the consequences of a loss limped back onto the field hoping for a last quarter fight back. The Saints big guns of Frost, Lacy and Shaughnessy who had been on fire in the first half could do little to stop the Bombers running game. The Bombers extended their lead with early goals to Stark and Theis, Sebastien Desgrosielliers kicking his first career goal and putting the game well and truly out of reach of the Saints. The Saints found found some fight in the latter part of the quarter, finally getting on top in the midfield and getting some forward momentum. A goal to Shaughnessy was little consolation as the Saints eventually fell by 48 points, An incredible scoreline for a team that really only lost one quarter of football for the day.