THE Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs have secured their first win of the 2019 Group Seven season on Sunday, by defeating the Berry-Shoalhaven Heads Magpies 52-26 at Bill Andriske Oval.
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The home fans didn't have to wait long for points, as the Bulldogs opened their account within the first two minutes.
After Magpies fullback Jared Bowley was taken out on his first kick return, the hosts scored off the ensuing scrum when Tyler Clark ran off hooker Cody Roach.
Five-eighth Tarje Whitford added the extras for 6-nil.
The lead was doubled in the eighth minute when half Todd Ryan stepped through the line and crossed in the left corner.
Whitford failed to convert from the sideline, as the score remained 10-nil.
Berry were the next to score, after back-to-back sets, when Joe Rogers crossed from close range.
Josh Ingold converted to make it 10-4 after 15.
Following two straight penalties, the Dogs had their third when Lachlan Broughton squeezed through four tired defenders and dived over from close range.
Whitford failed to convert again and the lead was eight.
Against the run of play, Berry scores their second - a quick exchange of hands down the left put centre Evan O'Shea into score.
Ingold converted to make it 14-12 with 12 to play in the first half.
Just before the break, Berry hit the lead for the first time as Ingold found winger Brent Marando with a perfect cut-out pass, before the latter drew fullback Broughton and cut it back inside to his centre O'Shea to score his second of the afternoon.
Ingold added the extras to make it 18-14 at the break.
Whatever Dogs coach Brenden Fernley said at the break worked, as the home side regained the lead three minutes after the resumption, when Harley Grundy powered over from dummy-half.
Whitford converted to make it 20-18.
The Dogs made it two tries in three minutes when Roach slipped through the line and slammed it down next to the posts.
Whitford made no mistake with his kick, extending the lead to eight.
The Dogs well and truly had their tails up when Roach put Blake Mackey over with a short pass close to the line.
Whitford added the extras, for 34-18.
Berry finally stemmed the flow, when Marando pounced on a cross field kick by Ingold five minutes later.
The latter failed to convert and it was 34-22.
It was the same connection - Ingold and Marando - in the 61st minute which helped reduce the lead to eight, as the former missed the kick from the sideline.
But the hosts ensured the Magpies didn't get any closer, as Lepani Waqa glided through the line, after a sharp pass by Whitford, to extend the Dogs lead.
Whitford took the lead to more than two converted tries with his kick.
The five-eighth had a try of his own three minutes later, and with him converting his own try, the score was 46-26.
The hosts brought up the half century with six to go, when Paul Thornton carried three defenders across the line.
Whitford converted from right in front, to make it 52-26 - which is how it finished.
In their first win of the year, the Bulldogs were led by Lepani Waqa, Todd Ryan, Cody Roach and Tarje Whitford, while Blake Dryden, Blygh Herron, Tata Falemone and Josh Ingold never gave up for the Magpies.