EGLINTON may have bowed out of the Group 10 Junior Rugby League under 11s title race on Saturday after a 30-10 loss to Lithgow Storm, but coach Aaron Bateup is excited about the future.
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All season Bateup watched as his young Eels playing group improved and while ultimately losing the minor semi-final at Tony Luchetti Sportsground, it was only in the final quarter that Storm really pulled away.
"They got a couple of late tries on us and it probably made the score less flattering for us, they were just a little bit too good for us in the end, they were just that one step ahead of us," Bateup conceded.
"But it was a big effort to get here, we've had a few hiccups this year and things have conspired against us with the draw and weather and COVID, but they've come a hell of a long way this year these kids, this [Storm] team has flogged us in the past.
"So I think they've got a bit of belief now that they can match these sides and fingers crossed for next year.
"The 12s is usually a difficult age group for us, that's when they tend to drop off ... but we're hoping they all come back next year, I'm excited to see what they can do."
The Eels certainly showed why Bateup is excited about their potential with their effort in the first quarter on Saturday.
While Storm opened scoring off their second set of the do-or-die match, fullback Isikekli Tamanitokula diving over from dummy half, the Eels didn't drop their heads.
Both Charlie Brown and Kalob Forrest made some bullocking runs up the middle of the field and in the ninth minute the Eels got on the board. The try came via halfback Nick Holman, who dived between three players.
Storm led 6-4 at quarter-time and pushed further ahead thanks to a Kaden Turnbull try.
But again the Eels showed their fight as they scored the first try of the second half, Brown charging over off a penalty tap to make it 12-10.
The momentum swung once more as, after conceding, Storm drove down field off their next set, forced a line drop out, then spread the ball to the right wing where Dustin Beckett went over.
He converted his own try to push the host's lead out to eight.
In the final two minutes of the third quarter Storm found themselves under huge pressure on their own line, but they stood firm in defence.
Firstly they held Brown up over the line as he came close to scoring off another penalty tap, then Storm put Levi Maloney into touch when he threatened to sneak over in the right corner.
In the final quarter Storm scored twice more - via Tamanitokula and Macauly Desch - to ensure their survival, emerging 30-10 victors over the brave Eels outfit.
LITHGOW STORM 30 (Isikekli Tamanitokula 2, Kaden Turnbull, Dustin Beckett, Macauly Desch tries; Isikekli Tamanitokula, Kaden Turnbull, Dustin Beckett, Beau Gill, Dakoda Hann goals) defeated EGLINTON EELS 10 (Nick Holman, Charlie Brown tries; Nick Holman goal)
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