Derby Tigers book WKFL grand final berth with unstoppable second-half performance against Looma Eagles

Derby Tigers will face off against Cable Beach in the WKFL Grand Final after a stellar second half performance against the Looma Eagles.

Playing under a harsh Saturday sun at Haynes Oval in Broome, the match began on a fairly even keel with both teams coming out firing in-front of goal.

The Tigers looked set to enter the first break ahead by seven points, but quick reactions from the Looma forwards saw a difficult chance turn to a goal with a skillsful soccer of the ball to see Derby’s kead cut to just one point at the break, Derby 3.2-20 to Looma 3.1-19.

In the second quarter, the tit-for-tat play saw both teams slot home a number of goals, with Looma’s accurate kicking keeping them in contention despite having less chances.

Towards the end of the half it was Luke Shepherd who looked the difference maker for Derby, getting above the Looma full backs to seal a number of easy set shots infront of goal and ensure Derby went into halftime ahead, Derby 8.6-54 to Looma’s 7.3-45.

With tensions high heading into the second half, Looma were able to secure a goal within the first minute to cut the deficit to just three points, with Derby missing their first chance at goal to add just a single point.

For the next 10 minutes play remained in the midfield, both teams struggling to get it into their forward fifty.

But just as Looma looked as if they’d take the lead, it was Derby who snatched a goal against the tide of play.

It was the confidence boost Derby needed, with the next three goals all falling for the black and yellow, while Looma were held without a single chance infront of goal to see the score-gap widen for the first time all game, Derby 12.7-79 to Looma’s 8.4-52.

In the fourth quarter the Eagles struggled to find the will to comeback, with Derby forward Edward Mcginty looking unstoppable in-front of goal, slotting home an impressive four goals and bringing his total for the day to five to see a Tigers win all but sealed.

The rest of the final quarter seemed more a formality for both teams, with Derby managing six goals and two behinds against Looma’s single goal and point to see the game finish Derby 18.9-117 to Looma’s 9.5-59.

The Derby Tigers will now face off against minor premiers Cable Beach Football Club at 2pm, Saturday, September 10 at Haynes Oval.