Redland swapped ladder positions with rivals Southport after a hard-earned 21-point victory in an entertaining clash at Tidbold Park on Saturday afternoon.
The now eighth-placed Bombers led for most of the match, breaking the game open in the third and holding the Sharks at bay for a morale-boosting 16.15 (111) to 13.13 (90) victory.
Jackson Paine booted five majors for the Bombers while up the other end, Southport small forward Mitch Johnson booted six in a high-scoring, see-sawing affair.
In what was expected to be an arm wrestle between the two Queensland clubs, the match lived up to the hype early when they traded blows in an even first term.
Redland took an eight-point advantage into quarter-time, and the margin never went beyond 12 for the entire second term as both teams added three goals each.
It was the decisive third quarter which set the platform for Redland’s triumph.
First, 19-year-old speedster Jai Lyons took on the Southport defence, nailing a goal on the run from close range after two bounces in the opening minute.
Redland produced the first three, and reached a game-high 31-point lead at the 27-minute mark.
A pair of goals to Johnson gave the Sharks some confidence late in the term, but another Redland young gun in Jack Rolls burst from the centre to kick truly from 50m out to ensure the Bombers went into the last term full of running.
Wade Hancock reduced the margin to 20 to open the final quarter, but that would be as close as the Sharks would get as Redland continued to find the answers.
While the victory gives Redland a mathematical chance of still making finals, coach Leigh Harding said their eyes remain firmly on the next challenge.
“We’ve been trying to focus on our offence and defence, and how one looks after the other, and that has been a real improvement and a stepping stone from where we were six or eight weeks ago, so that was a real pleasing thing about the win,” he said.
“On the back of their dominance in the second, we were able to control the game in the third and that was probably the big difference in the end.
“You have to think about if there is a chance for us (to make finals). We’ll just keep fronting up week-to-week and we’ll continue to educate the players.
“On the back of a disappointing loss to Aspley last week, we were able to put that behind us and come back and win, and maybe keep that door ajar for us.”
Defender Adrian Williams was a standout for the Bombers, keeping dangerous Southport forward Hamish Shepheard to 0.4 and collecting the second-highest disposals for his side with 27.
Rolls (25 disposals, eight clearances, two goals) and Damian Steven (23 disposals, seven clearances, two goals) did the bulk of the damage through the midfield.
Johnson was a shining light for Southport up forward, while NEAFL MVP leader Jordan Keras had another massive performance with 36 disposals, 14 clearances, and six inside 50s.
Redland heads to Darwin next week to tackle NT Thunder, while Southport hosts the Giants at Fankhauser Reserve.
Redland Bombers v Southport Sharks
REDLAND 4.6 7.8 14.12 16.15 (111)
SOUTHPORT 3.4 6.9 10.10 13.13 (90)
GOALS – Redland: J Paine 5, D Steven 2, C Cameron 2, J Lyons 2, J Rolls 2, L Rogerson, L O’Sullivan, H Bertoli-Simmonds. Southport: M Johnson 6, J Baxter 3, W Hancock 2, D Lancaster, B Erickson.
BEST – Redland: A Williams, J Rolls, D Steven, H Bertoli-Simmonds, J Paine, J Huddy. Southport: M Johnson, A Boston, J Keras, F Thurlow, S Tape, T Thynne.
