AN injury-hit Port Macquarie Sharks were gallant, gutsy and brave, but ultimately went down 30-14 to Wingham on Sunday at Wingham Sports Complex.
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Captain-coach Joey Cudmore was helped from the field in the 22nd minute after he was knocked senseless after putting boot to ball. He didn’t return to the field.
Fullback Harley Gore was stretchered off soon after with a suspected broken left ankle and then Dave Geary tore his hamstring but battled on bravely.
Corey Murphy reeled out of a tackle mid-way through the half carrying his right arm, but he finished the match.
In Cudmore’s absence, second-rower Matt Shipway took on more of a leadership role and was the Sharks’ best.
Assistant coach Wayne Grant refused to label it as a loss they had to have.
“I wouldn’t go that far, they were too good and we finished second today,” he said. “We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen next time.”
“We lost our lock, fullback and captain-coach in the first half so for what we were left with – one bloke on the bench – they stuck to their guns pretty well.”
Things didn’t start well for the Sharks when the kick-off rolled dead and they didn’t touch the ball for the first seven minutes.
The ladder-leading Tigers set up camp in Port Macquarie’s territory and ultimately the pressure told when Wingham winger Tyler Atkins crossed in the corner to give the hosts an early 6-0 lead.
The Tigers took a 12-10 lead to the break after Scott Grant and Cudmore scored a try before he left the field.
With 20 minutes remaining, Sharks five-eighth Corey Murphy’s grubber kick fortuitously found itself in the arms of second-rower Grant.
He juggled the ball after the kick only travelled about a metre and a half and scored out wide despite cries of “forward pass!” in the stands from fans with questionable eye sight.
It gave last year’s premiers a sniff of an unlikely victory at 24-14 and the Sharks were circling.
They had their chances in the final quarter, but the Tigers found another gear.
Winger Atkins scored in the corner with five minutes remaining to put the icing on the cake.
“We’ll dust ourselves off and make sure we’re good to go in a couple of weeks,” Grant said.