Peel Thunder defeat East Fremantle in thriller at David Grays Arena

Peel Thunder defeated East Fremantle by 12-points in a thrilling finish at David Grays Arena on Good Friday.

The lead changed hands five times in the last quarter before Peel secured the win with the final two goals of the game finishing 12.13 (85) to 11.7 (73).

Key forward Gerald Ugle said the Thunder expected a challenge, but the final moments were nerve racking.

“I was pretty nervous in that last quarter, but it was good to come away with the full points,” he said.

“I was pretty relieved in that last five minutes when Scott Jones took the mark and Bailey Banfield sealed it.”

Ugle kicked the opening goal of the contest, but the Thunder struggled to maintain their intensity while kicking against the wind, trailing by 11-points at half time.

Rain fell in the third term, making it difficult to get a handle on the ball, opening the door for Peel to kick three goals to reduce their deficit to three-points heading into the final quarter.

A tight final term saw the Thunder break away, kicking the final two majors to seal their second win of the season.

Blair Bell had a stellar return from injury finishing with 15 disposals and five goals.

Ugle said Bell had been missed on the field.

“He was great, to have been injured for so long, and to come back and have such an impact,” he said.

Ugle said the team would work on their defence ahead of round four when they face Subiaco.

“Obviously they’re a pretty strong side, so our focus is how we want to play our game and work on our defensive acts,” he said.

Peel take on the undefeated Subiaco Lions at Leederville Oval on Saturday, April 27 at 2.15pm.

Written by: Kaelen Ruland