Ghosts snatch local derby in thriller

after they a swirling kick eluded the Rebels defence and Collett picked up the crumbs to score.

Woods kicked the diffcult conversion to put the Ghosts in front for the frst time in the game.

Cameron scored his third try minutes later, this time back up a break up the middle and Woods again nailed the conversion to make the lead challenging at 28-20.

The Rebels appeared to be squandering possession as they tried to bridge the gap trying to make miracle plays.

He said the team had to get back to playing disciplined football to get back into the game.

“We got the chance to get down in their half near half time and we got a couple of tries,” Cameron said.

For Rebels coach Ron Gordon it was a game that got away from his team.

“Ill discipline cost us,” he said. “We turned back the clock to the way we played a couple of years ago.” from back page

By Tim Howard

The Grafton Ghosts have staged a comeback for the ages to grab a 28-26 local derby win over the South Grafton Rebels in the Group 2 Rugby League game at McKittrick Park.

Sunday’s showdown looked destined for the hosts after the Rebels jumped out to a 20-4 lead 25 minutes into the game on the back of a hat trick of tries to fullback Keiron Johnson-Heron and another to young winger Jye Boehme.

But the discipline that has characterised the Rebels over the past year, slipped away and the Ghosts piled on 24 unanswered points to grab the lead just after half time.

The Rebels were quick out of the blocks, scoring their frst through JohnsonHeron in under three minutes.

Some good lead up play from veteran No 6 Hughie Stanley got the Rebels close to the line and JohnsonHeron ran onto a short pass to crash over. Nick Torrens knocked over the conversion from close to the posts.

The Ghosts replied with a try of their own a few minutes later to winger Jay Olsen.

Cooper Woods conversion hit the uprights, but for the next 20 minutes that was as close as the Ghosts got to adding to their total.

From the kick off Ghosts winger Wirri Boland dropped a swirling ball, putting the Rebels on attack 20m out.

A set piece from a scrum soon after swept the ball to the left, putting Boehme over in the corner. Torrens’ conversion attempt also hit the post.

The Ghosts staged a promising raid into the Rebels half, but punishing defence held them.

The Rebels swept upfeld and were hard on attack when the frst signs of the feeling between the two teams broke out.

Some pushing in the play the ball degenerated into a brawl with players running in from everywhere.

In a desperate bid to stamp his authority on the game, the ref put Rebels skipper Grant Stevens in the bin along with Ghosts backrower Justin King.

The Rebels scored two more tried through Johnson-Heron to hit 20 points and put the Ghosts on the defensive.

The game turned as the Rebels seemed to have the Ghosts pinned on their line. But a poor kick option ended in the hands of the Ghosts try scoring machine Dylan Collett who seemed destined to score until mowed down in desperate cover.

Trying to slow the play the ball, Johnson-Heron turned from hero to villain when the referee gave him 10 in the bin for a professional foul.

The Ghosts exploited the extra player advantage, with skipper Todd Cameron scoring two tries darting out from dummy half, dragging his team back into the contest trailing 20-16 at half time.

Minutes into the second half the Ghosts drew level

But newly signed centre James Torrens got back to basics, running hard and twisting though tackles to score. Nick McGrady nailed a tricky kick to get the score to 28-26 and set up a thrilling fnal few minutes.

The Rebels piled on the pressure and looked close to scoring on several occasions only to be denied by desperate defence on the line.

Inside the fnal minutes Stanley tried his pet play, a fat cross kick to an unmarked winger, which put the winger away. He passed inside, but the Ghosts covered dragged him down a few metres from the line, defusing the threat.

After the game a relieved Cameron said his heart was in his mouth as his team repelled the desperate Rebels.

“The boys just kept turning up for each other,” he said.

He said there had been some niggle between the two teams, but nothing more than you’d expect in hard-fought local derby.

He said he had been forced to make some interchanges of key players late in the half, which coincided with the Ghosts comeback.

“Unfortunately the new players didn’t maintain the intensity we’d established in the frst part of the game,” Gordon said.

The Rebels were delighted with the crowd turn out for the game.

Ground manager Terry Power said it was several seasons since McKittrick Park had witnessed such a big turnout.

Scores

Grafton Ghosts 28: Tries Todd Cameron 3, Jay Olsen, Dylan Collett. Goals: Cooper Woods 4 def South Grafton 26: Tries: Keiron Johnson Heron 3, Jye Boehme, James Torrens. Goals: Nicholas Torrens 2, Nicholas McGrady 1