Comets now on track 31/05/2010
Daniel Pickering did little wrong in his Comets debut against the Jets (Photo courtesy of Chris Ison at The Morning Bulletin)
The CQ Comets are back on track after defeating Ipswich Jets by 15-14 in a sputtering display which combined everything the team has produced this year with some moments of brilliance mixed with errors in vital areas.
The Comets’ opening was everything any coach would ask of a side with Nathan Barraclough hoisting the ball high into the air at the end of the first set.
Fullback Smith Samau was forced to come forward to try to defuse the bomb, but Junior Auru and Alan Rothery were there first to knock it back to halfback Marc Fickling who ran into the hole vacated by Samau to score.
That score doubled as a well constructed move let Dallas Williams dive over on his return to the team after injury.
It was obvious from the way players rushed to congratulate Williams that his return to first-team football was welcomed.
The small crowd could have been forgiven for thinking the floodgates were about to open, but the Jets did not panic and stuck to a game plan of attacking the Comets’ right wing and putting pressure on debutant Daniel Pickering.
There was little Pickering could do when in the Jets’ first dangerous attack they stretched the Comets defence with a couple of long cut-out passes before winger Luke Walker got his hands on the ball to crash over in the corner.
The Comets should have gone further ahead from a set move that had worked during the defeat of Wynnum Manly.
Gaining a scrum feed 30 metres from the Jets line, hooker Ian Webster took the ball from the base and sent a measured kick behind the Jets defence for Fickling who ran on to it only for the ball to bounce badly causing him to knock on as the line beckoned.
The Comets were made to pay as Jets again attacked the Comets’ right with Walker cutting inside to score and make the kick easier for Keiron Lander.
Excitement rose as on the siren Rothery made a big break and was only tracked down by the cover defence about 20 metres out.
In the second spell the Comets were their own worst enemy, throwing away possession early in the tackle count far too often. Back-to-back sets of six should have made the Jets’ defence crack, but the Comets failed to follow up and put points on the board.
When the home side kept it simple they got reward as Webster found a gap to score while Barraclough provided the extras.
A handling error close to their own line handed the football to the Jets and they moved it to the Comets’ left for Tyson Lofipo to dive over.
With the kick missed the teams were locked up at 14-14 going into the final minutes and that was when Webster produced his second piece of magic as the Comets set him up for a field goal attempt and he duly obliged.
Coach Wayne Barnett had made a few “last-minute” changes to his team with Karl Johnson given the chance to find his form with Fitzroy/Gracemere and Aaron Summers dropped for disciplinary reasons.
Barnett was impressed with George Tuakura and the way Pickering handled his Cup debut.
Unfortunately both Darren Mapp and Auru were forced off with hamstring injuries and could both miss two or three weeks.
Central Comets 15 (Marc Fickling, Dallas Williams, Ian Webster tries; Nathan Barraclough 1 goal; Ian Webster 1 field goal) defeated Ipswich Jets 14 (Luke Walker 2, Tyson Lofipo tries; Keiron Lander 1 goal)
Story courtesy of Alan Kennedy at The Morning Bulletin
