Eagles pipped at the post but coach praises young guns

The East Campbelltown Eagles may have been pipped at the post by Wentworthville Magpies on Sunday, but all coach Richard Barnes could talk about were the positives to come out of the top four clash.

“Our club has a bright future,’’ Barnes said after witnessing his depleted team fight every inch of the way against the team coming second in the 2017 Sydney Shield premiership.

Barnes selected three teenagers for the Indigenous Round clash as he tried to fill holes left by missing key players.

Two were 17 year olds Maddison Mirko and Kobe Chamberlain and the third 18 year old Samuel Ioane, who was making his debut at Waminda Oval.

“What we have seen today from these young men was awesome,’’ Barnes said.

“And I thought we deserved to win.’’

The visitors probably wouldn’t share his sentiment, but they would be the only ones.

Indeed a draw would have been a fair result.

A penalty to the Magpies in front of the posts with just four minutes remaining broke the 24-24 deadlock and gave the win to the visitors.

It was a terrible way to lose a match that almost had everything, including a mighty physical battle between the packs.

The visitors scored first for a 6-0 lead but it was reduced to 6-4 after Craig Moustakas scored in the corner for the home team.

Wentworthville scored again to stretch the lead to 12-4 before debutant Samuel Ioane scored his first try in the top grade.

Trailing 12-8 with five minutes before the break, the Eagles scored when Ben Jankowski put a perfect ball on the chest for Amanono Tovio to touch down in the corner.

When Baker converted, Eagles trundled off to the sheds leading 14-12.

The Eagles were first to score after the break when Craig Moustakas bagged his second for the Eagles to extend the lead to 18-12.

But Wentworthville replied with a converted try and it was all locked up at 18-18.

The visitors hit the lead with a try under the post but with 13 minutes remaining the Eagles replied in kind and it was again level on the scoreboard at 24-24.

The Eagles will enjoy a break this coming week and return to take on Moorebank at Hammondville Oval on Sunday, July 2.

Moorebank posted their first win of the season on the weekend when they beat a disappointing Western Suburbs Magpies 28-26.