On Saturday July 12, the No. 3 Baltimore Washington Eagles (5-0) hosted the No. 4 New York Magpies (5-1) at Baltimore's Bocek Field. In warm sunny conditions with a breeze running straight down the ground, the Eagles faced off in a top of the table clash that would likely decide the Eastern Australian Football League Premiership.

In the first quarter, the Eagles were kicking with the breeze and they made the most of it. The Eagles were able to move the ball into the forward line with good kicks to the likes of Shane Frearson and Jay Levesque. The game was hard and tough all day with neither team allowing the other into a free flowing offensive game.

Probably the best match up was in the mid-field where Eagles Shane Frearson faced Magpie Jordon McIntyre. It was a great contest between two of the best mid-fielders in USFooty. Both working to nullify the other and both contributing with great ball movement and each scoring a much needed goal. At the end of the first it was the Eagles 3.5 (23) to 1.1 (7).

New York was kicking with the wind in the second quarter, but only managed to add one more goal thanks to McIntyre. Kicking against the wind, the Eagles had trouble getting the ball into their forward line and seemed to be lacking a focus up forward. New York dropped back its big men Andrew Bridges and Joel Keating and the two of them repeatedly stopped the Eagle attacks. The second quarter ended with the Eagles still up 3.7 (25) to 2.5 (17).

The game seemed to open up a little bit in the third quarter. The Eagles smaller players including Dwayne Marshall and Matt Bishop were able to add goals with the wind. However, New York was starting to find its way to forward Luke North who kicked two and four for the day. The Eagles were good around the stoppages, getting the ball out quickly to players running by. But time after time they ran into the solid defense of New York. At the end of the third it was the Eagles 6.9 (45) to 4.5 (29).

At the start of the fourth the question was whether the home team was going to hold off a charging New York team. New York had the breeze and managed another goal, but inaccurate kicking cost them the game. They ended the quarter kicking 1.5 to the Eagles solitary point. In what had been a tight game all day, the Eagles were able to bottle up the ball and keep it on the far wing. In the end, the Eagles were able to hold on to the ball and the victory.

New York Head Coach Robert Oliver wasn't too pleased with how things turned out. "It was a frustrating game. I hate narrow fields as it is too easy for the ball to congested. But both teams played on the same field. I thought in the third quarter that we might just have it. In the last we kicked 1.5. If we had just made a couple of those goals, I think the momentum would have been enough to get us over the line. The Eagles had their chances too and they should be congratulated on a good win."

BW Eagles Head Coach Aaron Tyndall was in a better mood. "It was good to get the win. There really wasn't that free flowing game that I thought there would be with these two teams. Got to be happy with a win. There are some things we need to work on but we will get there."

Baltimore Washington Eagles: 6.10 (46)

New York Magpies: 5.10 (40)

GOALKICKERS

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