The West Sydney Pirates won again in Week 4 of the Gridiron NSW 2013 Division season when they defeated the Wollongong Mustangs by 28-13.
The Pirates were at home for their Week 4 game against the Wollongong Mustangs and they retained their unbeaten 2013 record with a solid 28-13 win.
The Pirates opened the First Quarter with a powerful running game and that was to be the tone and tempo for the entire game as the Offense set a Club Record for rushing yards with over 400 yards on the ground. Marlou Tacugue (170 yards and two Touchdowns) and Greg Evers (123 yards) both got into triple figures, and they were ably supported by Jason Gangaram and Dean Toskoski behind some outstanding blocking by the Offensive Line.
The passing game was not left out either, but it was a more selective passing game that contributed over 100 yards and two scores, both to Dean Toskoski.
The Pirate Defense faced a pass first, pass second, and pass third opponent so with virtually no run game to defend were able to sit back and knock down passes and make tackles as required. Jeremy Ghattas had an impressive game at Linebacker, making 7 tackles and picking off a pass to close out the First Half.
With so much yardage on Offense and being able to play a one-dimensional Defense the biggest concern was the mental errors which led to missed assignments and silly penalties. Offensive drives stalled or were killed off by a costly penalty and the scores given up by the Defense were a result of missed coverages or miscommunication.
This is definitely an area that the team must improve on, and it needs to be done sooner rather than later.
A win at home though is important, and it keeps the team momentum building which is of huge importance as the season continues to unfold.
A sub-plot to the game was the number of injuries sustained by Pirate players, none more serious than the injury to new Defensive Back, Pete Goudie. Pete was returning a Wollongong punt when he twisted awkwardly in a tackle which resulted in him suffering a broken leg and torn ankle ligaments. It was a freak accident which left a dark spot on an otherwise positive outing.
Our best wishes go to Pete for a speedy recovery.
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