THE Greater Northern Hockey League ladder shuffled again yesterday when the South Launceston Suns scrambled a draw against South Burnie and the reigning premiers Queechy Penguins lost to Devonport.
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Queechy moved from third back to fourth with just a single point now separating the Qs from Devonport in fifth and the same margin to third.
The Subbies used their home ground advantage to put the Qs' defence under pressure early with Callum Dubbeld finding a way past keeper Nick Green to give the Subbies control.
Matt Knox responded for the Qs late in the half to send the teams to the break locked together.
The second half was an even encounter with neither side able to gain any real control until Robbie Muir found the way to the Qs' net to give the Subbies the lead that they held to the end.
Further down the road, South Burnie and South Launceston were doing battle in Burnie at McKenna Park.
South Launceston started well playing its usual possession style but the players were finding the bounce of the surface not to their liking and missed traps became commonplace.
South Burnie took a fast break all the way to the Suns' circle, with Stuart Bowles posting the first goal of the encounter.
The Suns matched the pace with Joe Jones levelling minutes later, Bowles posted his second for the game as the half wound down, only to have the Suns level again from a corner conversion for Brad Buchanan.
The second half saw many forays in to the attacking circles of both teams with Nathan Dart adding one for the Hawks and Sam Phillips capitalising on a defensive mistake to add the last for the Suns, to leave the scores locked at the final siren.
Burnie's City Marians posted three goals before the Tamar young guns were able to add one of their own.
A penalty corner conversion and a field goal for Craig McCarthy early in the half with Clinton Upchurch adding another field goal as the half wound down.
Fergus Poynter posted his and Tamar's first in the last minute of the half.
Tamar jumped early with Poynter again finding his way to the net, giving the Greenmen some hope of the win.
The Bloods gathered themselves and the forward momentum continued with penalty corner conversions for Joe Gates and Craig McCarthy and a further field goal for Gates putting the game beyond Tamar's reach.
Evan Lawrence added a consolation field goal for Tamar in the dying minutes of the game.
RESULTS - South Burnie dw South Launceston 3-3. oals - HAWKS: S. Bowles 2, N. Dart. SUNS: B. Buchanan, J. Jones, S. Phillips. Best - HAWKS: J. Bomford, S. Bowles, J. Bomford. SUNS: K. Beattie, R. Gates, J. Duncan.
Devonport 2 d Queechy Penguins 1. Goals - DEVONPORT: C. Dubbeld, R. Muir. QUEECHY: M. Knox. Best - DEVONPORT: M. Williams, D. Ford, D. Heathorn. QUEECHY: R. Horne, M. Reid, M. Selby.
City Marians 6 d Tamar Churinga 3. Goals - CITY MARIANS: C. McCarthy 3, J. Gates 2, C. Upchurch. TAMAR CHURINGA: F. Poynter 2, E. Lawrence. Best - CITY MARIANS: E. Gates, C. McCarthy, J. Birtwhistle. TAMAR: B. Shepherd, R. John, F. Poynter.
LADDER: South Launceston 15, City Marians 14, Smithton 13, Queechy 12, Devonport 11, South Burnie 5, Tamar 4.