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All Blacks win with a flurry of late goals

Michael TraillNarrogin Observer
Andrew Bairstow finished with three goals for the night.
Camera IconAndrew Bairstow finished with three goals for the night. Credit: Rodney Johnson.

All Blacks were far too strong for Olympics in the fourth period of their Friday night clash in the UGSHA’s men’s A-grade competition, notching up a 6-2 victory.

Olympics opened the scoring from a penalty corner. Jeff Short’s shot was initially blocked by the keeper but Steve Sexton found the goal on the rebound.

All Blacks didn’t take long to reply with David Phillips steaming through the middle then flicking the ball across the keeper to set up a Sam Broad goal. Both sides went into the first break with a goal each.

Andrew Bairstow scored the first of his three goals early in the second period, splitting the Olympics’ defence straight through the middle from a convincing counterattack, giving All Blacks a 2-1 lead.

In the final minutes of the second half, Zac Baker found an equalizer for Olympics, sneaking a goal through All Blacks’ defence from a messy corner. Neither side could convert in the third term, as most of the game was played in the middle, but Olympics had more possession.

Bairstow managed his second goal early in the last period, converting as the All Blacks carefully worked the ball through Olympics players from a penalty corner.

With a 3-2 lead, All Blacks stormed home, Bairstow finding his third shortly after his second before a Quinlan Paice goal and a Phillips goal in the dying minutes.

All Blacks’ Shane Perkins and Ben Broad were the game’s best, alongside Olympics’ Codey Watts.

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