Tigers edge Dockers in Alice
12:21:36 AM Sat 5 March, 2005
afl.com.au
Terry Wallace has celebrated his second win as coach at Richmond with a gutsy two point victory over Fremantle in their Wizard Regional Challenge Series match at Alice Springs on Friday night.
The coach with the task of transforming last year's wooden spooners has made a positive start to his reign at Punt road with a second successive win following the tight round one Wizard Cup loss to Collingwood.
Wallace would be impressed with his side's tenacity particularly in the dying stages as they staved off a fast-finishing Dockers team which threatened to steal the victory.
But the Tigers, who last week thrashed Essendon in Morwell, held strong to beat the Dockers 7.9 (51) to 7.7 (49).
Tigers youngsters Brent Hartigan and Andrew Raines were impressive in the midfield and two goals each for Andrew Krakouer and Kelvin Moore helped the Tigers kick ahead in the third quarter.
But two goals from Dockers forward Justin Longmuir helped Fremantle draw within a goal of victory late in the final quarter.
While Wallace would be happy with his team's performance, leading midfielder Nathan Brown will give him some concern having left the field midway through the third with a corked thigh.
Brown looked below his best missing a number of easy goal opportunities in a goalless first quarter.
Dockers forward Dion Woods too was guilty of wayward finishing but improved with a second half switch to the backline.
RICHMOND: 0.2, 1.2, 5.8, 7.9 (51)
FREMANTLE: 0.1, 2.3, 4.4, 7.7 (49)
Goals - Richmond: Krakouer 2, Moore 2, Pettifer, Chaffey, Tuck
Fremantle: Longmuir 2, Grover, M Carr, Campbell, Duffield
Best - Richmond: Krakouer, Moore, Tuck.
Fremantle: Longmuir, Sandilands, Bell, Crowley
Injuries - Richmond: Brown (thigh)
Fremantle: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: H Kennedy, S Grun, M Avon, D Goldspink
Crowd: Approx 7500 at Traeger Park
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