LINCOLN South, after trailing by 21 points at the first break, staged a remarkable fight back over the next three quarters to win by four points with the time keeper's finger on the button to sound the siren to end the game.
While South were gallant the Tasman Roosters were courageous.
This contest would rate highly as one of the best for several seasons and the 600-plus crowd walked away thoroughly entertained.
The Roosters opened with a flying start with the aid of two free kicks and a 50-metre penalty, with Brett Cunningham kicking the first of his four goals for Tasman for the night after two minutes of play.
Two young gladiators in the Roosters' Jake Stoll and the Eagles' Kaye Hancock were going head to head in the early ruck contests, which was a feature of the game.
The Roosters were finding plenty of the ball and Cunningham posted his second goal, making it look all too easy.
The Eagles responded when Nathan McEvoy found space from the centre bounce and found Andrew North, who kicked the Eagles' first goal.
Cunningham was running hot and kicked his third goal on the run, which saw the Eagles Andrew North moved to the ruck with immediate success and the Eagles kicked their second goal through Aaron Castley.
The next 10 minutes plus time on saw the Roosters dominate, kicking four more goals, to have a remarkable seven goals with no points, with Nathan Frost, Calvin Daniels, Mark Smith and Issac Christian kicking a goal each.
The Eagles, through full forward Darryl Marshall, kicked the first of his four goals.
The second and third quarters were what pressure football is all about, the skills were there but there were many turnovers created by the endless pressure.
Every player contributed and by the end of the third quarter the supporters of both teams were living the game, riding the bumps, cheering and applauding their teams as players without fear literally threw themselves into the contest and the "game on" light shined brightly on this night made for football.
The Eagles proved they could play catch up football and shut the Roosters down enough by kicking five goals to the Roosters' three by the end of the third quarter.
Their back half, led by Andrew Jericho, was back on top with new player Joel Nagel picking up important touches.
Dale King stamped his authority on the game, Adrian Campbell found the loose ball, Nathan McEvoy was running hard with the ball and Dylan Dunn relished the toughness of the game, busting open several packs to get the ball forward.
The Eagles had slowly but surely got back into the game with goals to Tynan Hill, the first of his two for the night, Dennis Males found space to mark and kick straight and Marshall took a strong contested mark for his second goal.
South had reduced the Roosters' lead to three points during the second quarter, while the Roosters had wasted good chances up forward, but finally in time-on the tenacious Hayden McKinlay brushed the would be tacklers aside to go forward, and Brad Masters took full advantage to kick the Roosters' lone goal and his side held a 10-point lead at the long break.
The third term was the same as the second, and you would have to be there to believe that the intensity lifted to another level.
Marshall and Tynan Hill kicked a goal each for South but the Roosters were the equal of the Eagles up forward with goals from Cunningham (his fourth) and Michael Kilsby to give them a nine-point lead at the last break.
The last quarter was a question of who would crack and the truth is that neither side threw in the towel.
Tasman's Jarred Christian broke the line to go forward and Hayden McKinlay missed the opportunity to extend the lead by kicking a point.
It was a let off for the Eagles who made the Roosters pay full price on the scoreboard by kicking the last two goals, the first of those at the 15-minute mark through Marshall.
The Roosters had managed to add only the one solitary point at this stage.
The Eagles back half had lifted and become meaner than a junk yard dog with Jericho taking five marks and Nagel four that continually turned the Roosters' forward movement back, very much the important factor in the Eagles effort to clip the Roosters' wings and deliver the final blow in the final seconds when McEvoy, who had been in the game all night, with blistering pace gathered the ball and sealed the win as the ball went over the top of the goal umpire's head for a great win in a great game.
It has been reported that there may have been one or two reports made during the game and if so, hopefully the league will release their findings for the Times this Thursday.
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