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Saturday night at Mounties saw Under 20s fall 2-1, while First Grade drew 0-0. Three Balmain players saw red on the night as the referees buckled under the glare of the sideline Referees' Inspector. Yet despite that, it was Firsts' keeper Hiro Fujiwara that was the star of the show.

First grade photos from John Sowden here

After a difficult start to the season, the Under 20s are coming together. Sadly, Saturday night at Mounties brought no reward for a sound effort. The side's best performance of the season saw them deservedly lead Mounties 1-0 in the second half. But then, two red cards to Tigers players from an overzealous referee turned the game in Mounties favour. Despite an admirable effort, and including a shot cleared off the Mounties goal-line, the Tigers' Under 20s conceded two late goals to go down 2-1.

Balmain's First Grade team went out looking for a first win of what has proven to be a difficult season thus far. The opposition was a Mounties side who had won their first two matches of the season. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the first 45 minutes did not go to plan, as Mounties took the sting out Balmain's early enthusiasm. Balmain's attack rarely threatened, and an unwillingness to press high up the pitch saw Mounties increasingly stretch the Tigers. Still, as has proven true throughout the season thus far, the Tigers' defence held firm and hardly gave up a chance.

The second half saw the game change dramatically. The Tigers grabbed all the momentum in a brutal opening 15 minutes as Balmain turned their game up a notch or three. In that time Balmain deserved to go ahead, after a Craig Andrews cross created a golden opportunity at the near post for Lozza Merlino, but Balmain - as has been the story so far this season - could not make opportunity count.

Not long after, the game took another twist. The referee, who to this point had been reluctant to pull out his cards, intervened in a manly block tackle from Balmain fullback Chris Grayson. Out came the red card, much to the shock of players and supporters alike. The ref was not finished however. Moments later, after a stellar challenge in the box from Tesoro dispossessed a Mounties striker the referee again made the wrong call: penalty!

With the Tigers' bench up in arms, and all hope apparently out the window, there was only one man left to save the Tigers. Sure enough, goalkeeper Hiro Fujiwara not only saved the penalty far to his right, he smothered the rebound underneath a mass of Mounties humanity. If that wasn't enough, just minutes later he would follow it up with the greatest save a Balmain keeper has ever made. After Hiro blocked a low Mounties shot out to a Mounties attacker, he was left stranded on the ground as a follow-up shot came back towards the top corner of the Balmain net. Yet Fujiwara rose sensationally, leaping up from the ground the tip the full-blooded piledriver over the crossbar.

0-0 it finished, the Tigers' third consecutive scoreless draw. Still winless after five matches, Balmain will be desperate change that fact this Saturday night against Stanmore Hawks at Lambert Park.