You could be forgiven for thinking Saturday’s Sapphire Coast AFL fixture looked familiar.
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For the Bega Bombers and Tathra Sea Eagles the draw was an exact replica of that from round three.
The scores were eerily similar too, the Bombers again conquered Narooma by over 100 points, while the Sea Eagles took a 100-point loss to Pambula.
The Bombers defeated Narooma 25.16 (166) to 9.7 (61).
Meanwhile, the Panthers defeated Tathra 18.18 (126) to 2.8 (20).
A consolation for the Sea Eagles is that the Pambula outfit was kept short almost 70 points on their previous engagement.
However, the Sea Eagles’ opportunities had been all but shut down as well.
In Bega, the Bombers looked commanding from the outset.
John Harney and Grant Jessop were a lethal combination in the front lines, while Chris Dwyer, Steven Luff and Scott Hay controlled the midfield.
Nick Forester was working well in the forward pocket with some accurate kicking.
The first quarter favoured the home side as the Bombers shot out to an early 35-point lead.
Justin Welsford headed up Bega’s defensive efforts and was able to repel a number of attacks, keeping Narooma to just one goal.
But it was the second quarter where the Bega squad really found its rhythm, kicking eight goals to extend its lead.
The Lions picked up three goals in the third quarter, but the Bombers piled on another five and a handful of behinds.
The lead had become unassailable at the final break, but the Lions never stopped trying.
Supporters at the Indigenous round match enjoyed a full-match spectacle with a big win for the home club.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as well for Tathra, taking on the reigning premiers.
It proved a challenge from the get go for the Sea Eagles as Justin Pilgrim and Kyle Tucker won most of the centre clearances.
The pressure on Luke Taylor and Matt O’Reilly was almost instant in the Tathra back lines as roaming Pambula players crowded the goal square.
Pambula captain Sean Smith was able to get loose a few times and wreak havoc on the scoreboard.
However, Will Dickinson was working hard on the wing for the Sea Eagles as was Bayden Pilbeam at centre half-back.
At the other end of the field, the Sea Eagles were having difficulty finding opportunities as the Panthers smothered the ball and used their height advantage in mark contests.
The match was in the balance at the first quarter with Pambula leading by just 19 points.
However, the home side began to forge a lead in the second as the Sea Eagles were kept to just three behinds.
Difficult angles and pressure forcing snap kicks hindered the accuracy of the Eagles.
Only Reggie O’Loghlin and Pilbeam were able to slot majors, while eight shots faded to either side.
Again the Panthers were relentless in the final quarter to kick six unanswered goals and extend their lead.
However, despite the loss the Sea Eagles hold third on the competition ladder behind just the Pambula and Merimbula squads.
The Bega Bombers are in fifth on the ladder after a difficult start to the season.