PEEL Thunder were handed a footballing lesson by ladder leaders Claremont Tigers on Saturday, defeated 22.21 (155) to 12.5 (77).
The Thunder failed to score a goal until the five-minute mark of the second term, but by then, the match was effectively over as the Tigers piled on nine goals in the first quarter and five in the second.
The scoreline could have been worse if the Tigers had converted more of their 26 scoring opportunities in the first half.
At half-time the Tigers had a match-winning 80-point lead.
The Thunder failed to put any pressure on the Tigers in the first half as their opposition ran riot, streaming through the corridor to score at will.
The Thunder defence, without Fremantle Docker Lee Spurr, was under siege and the constant pressure shown on the scoreboard.
The loss of key midfielder Pat Travers didn’t help the Thunder’s cause as he sat concussed on the bench.
The Thunder came out with some vigour in the third to score their first consecutive goals of the match, but the sting had been taken from the game.
The home side ensured the Tigers didn’t extend their lead by three-quarter time and by midway through the final term, gave their faithful crowd something to cheer about.
A goal to Kieran Butcher early in the last, followed majors to Kristin Thornton and Brendan Hancock gave the fans in the stands reason to stay, but the Tigers had switched off by the last.
The match was soured when Matt Orzel, against his old side, was put on report late in the final quarter for a crude hit on Aaron Holt.
The final 78-point margin highlighted the Thunder’s efforts to not let the game blow-out after halftime.
But the match has left many questions unanswered for the Thunder as they head into this weekend’s clash with East Perth at home.
The Thunder look set to regain Mitch Green while Travers will have to pass a fitness test Wednesday night to take part in the match.