Cowboys down in intense encounter

8th September 2008

HALFBACK Morgan Taylor scored two individual tries and set another up with a deft short kick as a gallant Warwick Cowboys under-18 side went down 32-20 to Valleys in yesterday's grand final at Clive Berghofer Stadium. Taylor scored for Warwick from first receiver in the sixth minute of play and then from dummy half six minutes later. With conversions by five-eighth Nick Baker, Warwick was ahead 12-0. Valleys responded with two tries to reduce the margin to two, the second in the final minute before half-time. Warwick forced a goal line drop out in the first minute of the second half. Soon after, Taylor kicked ahead for second rower Bradley Green to score. Warwick trailed on the scoreboard for the first time in the match after Valleys half-back Steven Lee scored five minutes later. Fullback Dylan Galloway stopped a certain try with a tackle of his opposite number Kurtis Gibson but Valleys scored soon after to go 10 points up. Valleys scored two more tries and hooker Kerrod Selmes landed three sideline conversions for a 32-16 lead. In the final five minutes of play, there was an all-in brawl. Referee Peter Tozer deemed Valleys more at fault and sent off two of the Roosters and one Cowboy. He then sent off Selmes for a tackle on Green which left Valleys with 10 and Warwick with 12. Centre Ron Paganin received a pass from Jesse McIvor on half-way and showed speed and elusive ability to score in the tackle one minute from time. Coach Mark Sullivan blamed a lack of possession in the second half for the turnaround. "We had 20 sets in the first half and only 10 in the second," Sullivan said. "Our defence was a bit disjointed after we lost Nick Baker with a dislocated wrist." Captain Shaun Fisher said everyone played to their best. "We lifted for the occasion," he said. As for the fight, Fisher reckoned his side was the winner both in the contest and with fewer players sent off.