Kimberley footy: Cable Beach hold off final quarter Looma surge for 10-point victory

Cable Beach held off a late Looma surge to claim a 10-point win at Nipper Roe Oval on a windy Saturday morning. The ladder leaders found themselves in a commanding position going into the final term, up 66-34, before Looma rallied with a four-goal streak to set the crowd alive. The Eagles had until the final term looked below their best — their usually dominant mids were outpaced and their defenders struggled to compete against a hungry Greenbacks forward line for much of the match. But the last stanza proved an entirely different game as Looma gained a clear ascendency. Two beautifully stuck set-shot goals from Tyrese Skeen and Jahleel Dickens went right to left with the wind for majors to set in motion the unlikeliest of comebacks. Cable Beach found themselves outmuscled when trying to reclaim momentum but it was the sheer desperation up front from Looma which threatened to turn the game. A further two majors had the Eagles needing two goals in the final five minutes. Never a franchise to rest on their haunches, Beach kept trying to move forward but Looma well-and-truly had the edge. The game ended up a case of what could have been, however, as several late shots in broken play sailed in for behinds to end the game 11.6 (72) to 9.8 (62) in favour of the Greenbacks. Earlier in the game it was Looma who struck first through the boot of Samuel Buck — his Josh Kennedy-style hop-step proving pinpoint accurate against a blustery cross-breeze. The Greenbacks had the field position early but struggled to find their radar when trying to take the aerial route forward. It took a 50-metre penalty which landed in the safe hands of Keifer Yu, who then kicked left-to-right for Rhonen Maher to scoop up in broken play and slot a goal for Cable Beach to get the wheels turning. From there Beach turned the screws — they went straight down the corridor to start the second term and from there dominated a significant portion of the quarter. Daniel Cox and Lyle Sibosado were as always proved crucial links between centrefield and Beach’s forwards, and Tom Cox made himself a handful around the 50-metre paint all morning. Looma did briefly find some reprieve through the boot of Buck. Moments later they suffered a huge blow when a delivery forward sailed over the Cable Beach defence and Sanjay Bilgin’s head. Bilgin found himself leading the race to the ball but, as he went to kick, was mowed down from behind by Christopher Oakley. Oakley had barely hit the ground himself when he called for medical attention, having seen Bilgin laying next to him in pain. The big Looma forward was stretchered off and treated on the sideline, before being taken by St John Ambulance to hospital with an icepack on his hand and green whistle in his mouth at half time. Back on the field in the third term Cable Beach held the ascendency. A beautifully weighted kick from Maher sailed through for a major from the pocket and Elijah Howard came into his own with some thumping kicks forward and a strong marking game. Looma found more success when they showed patience in a slower kick-pass game, but rarely threatened the goal posts. With three goals scored each in the third term, and an early major to start the final quarter, Cable Beach looked home and hosed, but Looma had other ideas. The Eagles left themselves with too much to do however, unable to bridge the 32-point difference. Beach’s Daniel Cox and Looma’s Caleb Calwyn were named best on ground.