Three goals from Mitch Brown and an outstanding game in defence from Blake Lee helped Pinjarra snap out of their two-game losing funk with a 12-point victory over Centrals in Mundijong on Sunday.
It was a historic day for the reigning premiers with brothers Josh, Mackenzie, Rory and Brock O’Brien all taking to the field in the same game for the first time, and the Tigers made it a memorable one with a hard fought 6.7 (43) to 7.13 (55) win.
Centrals looked to have the hot hand early with Paul Mugambwa booting the day’s first major, but it was Pinjarra who dominated the rest of the first quarter with three straight goals seeing them out to a 15-point lead at the first break.
The home side got immediate retaliation in the second term, coming through the boot of star forward Daniel Wilson, who nailed three of their four goals for the term to help the Blues to a 10-point buffer in a low-scoring affair at half time.
But things caved in for Centrals coming out of half time.
Crag McGarry booted their only major in the third quarter, before Pinjarra forced them to go goalless in the final term.
The defensive pressure gave Pinjarra the edge as they took the lead into the fourth quarter, and piling on one more goal allowed them to wrap things up with a victory.
Tigers coach Troy Vidovich was pleased to see his side back in the win column.
“That was just a really tough game, so for the boys to finish it up with a win and avoid dropping three in a row is really good for our club,” he said.
“It’s hard to win in Mundijong and we already have a pair of wins on their deck this year, so I’m rapt with that.”
Lee got the nod among Pinjarra’s best players after producing a superb game following a shift to the defensive half of the ground.
Meanwhile, three of the four O’Brien brothers found their way into Pinjarra’s best with Josh, Rory and Brock all featuring in the post-game accolades.
Lee Murray and Jacob Martinez were productive for Centrals, while Wilson led their scoring with his three majors.
The Tigers improve to a 3-2 record with the win, and will look to improve further when they clash with South Mandurah in round six.
Centrals on the other hand have slumped to 2-3, and will look to balance their record when they take on Halls Head.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
