Senior League
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A great day on Saturday for the senior Bulldogs, with the Womens’ League Tag and the Milton Ulladulla ExServos First Grade winning with Hanson Cement Group Reserve Grade more than competitive in their narrow loss.
The crowd were more than satisfied with the competiveness of the night.
Our next home game is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, when we have a catch up with Nowra Bomaderry Jets, the Women’s League Tag will kick off at 11.45am. This will be our Charity Day, with Jindelara conducting a raffle and raising funds for a respite centre in Ulladulla.
Please give them your support.
If you are looking for more rugby league, the Mollymook Golf Club Under 18s travel to Batemans Bay on Saturday, May 17, to do battle with the Tigers. Coach Paul Love has the team playing extremely well and this should be a great game.
Next Sunday we travel to Albion Park, where our four teams do battle with the first game at 10.35am. This will be a great day of football, so if you are looking for some where to go, this is the place.
On Anzac Day the club conducted a raffle at the Milton Ulladulla ExServos Club and we are proud to advise that in excess of $650 was donated to Legacy. Many thanks to our volunteers, the Bulldogs are proud to be able to assist in fundraising for Legacy.
On May 24 (Saturday) the Players Night will be on at the ExServos. The committee are looking forward to a great night that will be organised by the players and we encourage you to come along and enjoy the proceedings. We are not sure of the format but are encouraged by the enthusiasm of the players involved in the organisation of the event. More details later.
Don’t forget Queen for the Day tickets are still available. The drawing will take place at the Milton Ulladulla ExServos on Mothers Day and a reminder to all players to get your books back as soon as possible. This is a fabulous prize not to be missed.
Over the last two weeks, there has been a great deal of effort put in by committee and volunteers, and our sincere thanks for their effort.
First Grade
In a dire battle at Bill Andriske Oval on Saturday night, the ExServos Bulldogs overcame the Berry Magpies 20/18, in what was to be an entertaining game.
A large crowd was in attendance, with a large contingent of supporters from Berry making the journey south.
Milton Ulladulla took the lead in the first few minutes, with rookie Jesse Piekar on the left wing crossing in the scoreboard corner.
The Milton kicker Luke Young was hammering Berry's fullback James Milne and, feeling the pressure, he knocked on his in goal.
From the restart Milton again attacked the south-east corner, with Piekar being knocked into touch by the watertight Berry defence.
Three minutes later another error by Milne saw a restart under the sticks and, again Piekar was forced into touch, in the same corner by the Berry defenders. This play was to set the tone of the game, with neither side yet gaining the ascendency.
Play was scrappy with both teams completing only a handful of sets. Neither pack was on top and, after 20 minutes, Dylan Buchanan Piekar's opposite number evened the score, after good lead up work by Blake Harris- Davis.
Miton's workhorse centre Adam Bliss crossed in the in the 29th minute and was called for a forward pass by referee Lees, 4-4 at the half hour.
Piekar again injected himself into the game when he ran down a run away Joel Webbeck, to save a certain try.
Webbeck had capitalised on a rare break in the middle of Milton's tight defence.
Soon after, Milton opened up again and Berry second rower Bryce Rutherford motored over to put Berry in the lead 8/4. Berry were to hold the lead until nine minutes from the end of the game. Conversions to this point were all unsuccessful.
The breaks were now being found on the edges and Mitch Simington made a long break only to be tacked short.
Berry opened the scoring in the second half with Blake Harris – Davis scoring after five minutes and another missed conversion attempt by Joe Rogers. Berry 12 Milton 4 and anyone’s game.
With the 'southerly' behind them, Milton's hard working Adam Bliss was again called back in the ninth minute and Berry responded with Josh Ingold scoring in the 13th minute, Jack McPherson making a successful conversion attempt, Berry led 18-4.
Milton's centre Adam Bliss, who appeared to be missing his regular partner Lachie Moore, was finally rewarded with a try after 22 minutes, with Luke Young failing to convert.
Young's kicking in general play was almost faultless, forcing many errors from Berry's back three. His spiralling punt kicks, assisted by the southerly in the second half, had Milne in all sorts for most of the evening.
In the 27th minute, Mitch Simington stepped around some tiring Berry defenders and was untouched after he crossed halfway. He scored almost under the posts for Young to make any easy conversion 18-14.
Berry were trying everything - Benny, Rutherford and Holland, but Milton Ulladulla were defending without fail.
Scott Webb, who had come on from the bench after a full game of Reserve Grade, became the Bulldogs hero, when he made a determined run from about 20 metres out, to cross within kicking distance.
At 18-18, Luke Young added the extras with 20-18 the final the score.
At the end of the day, both teams had scored four tries but the difference was Milton converting two tries and Berry converting one.
The last seven minutes was a battle royal, with Berry having the greater share of possession but the Milton defence held out until the final whistle. Both sides put in a sterling effort.
Without injured former Group 7 centre, AJ Hatch and the late withdrawal from the selected line up of Lachie Moore and Hayden Naylor, the contribution of Piekar and Webb didn't go unnoticed.
In the first half Piekar made a boots and all tackle on Webbeck, who was well into the clear.
This turned out to be a game changer.
Webb entered the fray with a look of determination and, his try for the Bulldogs late in the game, proved a match winner.
Best for Berry were Buchanan, Holland and Woodford and, for Milton, Bliss, Warburton and Simington were strong and were well supported in a good team effort.
Milton Ulladulla 20 (tries Bliss, Simington, Piekar and Webb and Young two goals), Berry 18 (tries Buchan, Harris- Davis, Ingold, Rutherford and McPherson one goal).
Next Sunday the Bulldogs will travel to Albion Park for a match up with the Eagles, commencing at 2.45pm. Albion Park will be coming off a 44-10 demolition by Kiama and will be keen to turn it around.
The Bulldogs should be buoyed by the fact that they will have some players returning.
The Bulldogs have saved some of their most heroic performances for Croome Park, the most memorable being the 2005 title, when they defeated Minor Premiers APOF on their home ground.
Reserve Grade
The Hanson Cement Group Reserve Grade side put a monumental battle against Berry, with a win under their belts and two points from the bye.
Milton's preparation was not ideal, with two late withdrawals in First Grade in Lachlan Moore and Hayden Naylor.
Captain Matt Williams sustained a recurrence of a leg injury and also had to withdraw early in the game.
Will Ray, Damien Gray, Jimmy Little, Scott Webb, Khy Whitford, Nathanial Hampton-Olive, Jayde Tooth , Jacob Hemsworth, Nathan Cox, Dan Beachamp, Paul Ardler, Owen Mitchell, Tommy Ray, Dale Hammond, Nathan Ridley, Josh Pender , Nathan Webb and James Patterson lined up for the Bulldogs.
The game proved to have more stoppages than a cheap watch and, it was the home side, through Will Ray, who scored for the locals in the third minute. Jayde Tooth, who played well all day, converted to make the 6-0.
With play see-sawing both sides had difficulty holding possession and maintaining pressure on their opponents. Not until the 20th minute, did the score change, when Berry second rower Pat Watson crossed with full back Chad Walker converting.
After a lapse in defence, Berry’s winger Chris McCarron was in again three minutes later, with Berry taking the lead. This try turned out to be the turning point in the game, with Berry holding the lead until full time.
Just before half time, Lucas Harris went in and Walker again converted, to set a good lead at half time of 18-6, with Milton well and truly in the game.
Supporters were downhearted when former First Grader Rhys Sharp crossed for Berry, with Chad Walker missing the shot, Berry 22-6.
The loyal and faithful were starting to wonder but, in true Bulldog spirit, the locals started to come home with a wet sail.
In the following 20 minutes, Milton scored three tries, with Jayde Tooth managing to convert one. During this time Berry replied with a penalty goal by Jodie Peters, after one of the countless stoppages during play.
Milton's tries came from Owen Mitchell, Damien Gray and, capped off by captain Jimmy Little, in the last minute of play.
The two missed conversions proved costly, with the margin being four points only.
Best for Milton were Jesse Piekar, Jayde Tooth (both local products), Will Ray and Nathan Hampton Olive, who appeared to be carrying an injury.
Up until Saturday Piecer was the leading point scorer in Reserve Grade in SCG7.
As in the First Grade fixture, the value of goal kicking was evident, with each side in Reserve Grade scoring four tries each, and Berry converting three, plus a penalty goal, and Milton scoring two goals through successful conversions.
Berry 24 (tries Chris McCartney, Royce Sharpe, Lucas Harris, Pat Watson and goals Chad Walker 3 and Jordie Peters 1), Milton Ulladulla (tries Will Ray, Damien Gray, Jimmy Little and Owen Mitchell, goals Jayde Tooth).
The Bulldogs, with a couple narrow losses, are very competitive and, with a game in hand, should handle the upcoming expeditions to APOF in Round 6 and Warilla in Round 7, before returning to Bill Andriske in Round 8, with Kiama visiting on Saturday, May 24.
WLT
The Milton Ulladulla WLT's had a resounding victory over third placed Berry on Saturday. Developing into a real threat in the competition, the success of this side is built around their willingness to defend and their superior ball and evasive skills.
Ebony Murray, who is a front runner in the SCG7 top point scorers, did her cause ho harm with two tries and four conversions for the day.
Coached by former Cronulla Sharks captain David Hatch, the basic fundamentals of rugby league, in its modified form, have been instilled into these athletes.
They led Berry 22-0 at halftime and followers were confident that they would not be headed. Jaylee Love, again opened the scoring, with a long range try down the left-hand flank, with Ebony Murray converting.
Jaylee's sister Taryn, was next to score, followed by Ebony Murray in the 20th minute, and Renee Byrne, in the closing minutes of the first half. Murray converted three of the tries.
The second half commenced with Berry getting on the board, Jayde Rainford crossing and Jess Anderson missing the shot.
Milton replied almost immediately, with Murray making a searching run and going in under the sticks, converting her own try.
On the 12th minute, Jess Webster scored for Berry with the score 28-8 and Berry having little chance of getting back into the game.
It was all Milton late in the game, with Ebony Murray, Cheyanne Hatch and Emmah Haynes coming up with tries.
Amy Austin converted one and missed another.
Best for Berry were Josie Strong, Leanne O'Leary and Tracey Barrett and, for Milton, Ebony Murray stood out again, with Lacey Andriske, Cheryl Whitmore, Paige Hegyi and Kiarna Veitch consistent.
Milton Ulladulla 42 (tries Ebony Murray 2, Amy Austin, Cheyenne Hatch, Emmah Haynes, Renee Byrne, Taryn Love and Jaylee Love, goals Ebony Murray 2 and Amy Austin 1), Berry 8 (tries Jayde Rainford and Jess Webster).
On Sunday the WLTs will join the motorcade to meet the competition leaders APOF, with their game commencing at 10.35am.
Under 18s
Earlier in the week the Milton Ulladulla Under 18s had a convincing win over newcomers Shellharbour Stingrays which was washed out at Flinders Field in round two.
Milton Bulldogs easily defeated the Stingrays 32-6 and it was by far their best performance so far this year.
Best for Milton were Rory Smith , River Russell and Harley Grundy.
Milton Ulladulla 32 (tries Rory Smith 3, Dwayne Longbottom 2, Harvey Grundy 1, goals Nathan Browne 4), Stingrays 6.
The 18s will travel to Albion Park on Sunday, to meet the competition leaders. Their game will commence at 11.45am.
Club president Bert Powell commented after the game that he was happy with the attendance and said that the next two rounds against APOF and Warilla, away from home, would be a good test for all four teams and their prospects for further success in the SCG7 competition.