THE CANADIAN PRESS
WINNIPEG -- Rookie Blue Bombers placekicker Alexis Serna couldn't have asked for a better ending to his first CFL home game.
The 23-year-old Oregon State grad booted a 17-yard field goal with one second left to give his team a 19-16 win over the Montreal Alouettes in the teams' final pre-season CFL game Thursday night.
Serna, replacing veteran Troy Westwood who was released last Sunday after 17 years, was also good on three other field goals from 37, 22 and 15 yards in front of a capacity crowd of 29,553 fans at Canad Inns Stadium.
"It was definitely one of the best games that I've ever had in my career," said Serna, who was Oregon's all-time leading scorer during his four-year college career.
"I put myself in a good position, I feel. Now I just have to wait and see what happens." On the other side of the field, it was far from a good night for Montreal kicker Damon Duval.
The four-year veteran went wide left on three field-goal attempts from 51, 42 and 38 yards. He got singles off the first two misses.
The spotlight was also on both teams' back-up quarterbacks.
Montreal rookie Adrian McPherson threw a pair of touchdown passes to S.J. Green and Keith Godding in the fourth quarter to get his team into a 16-16 tied game.
Godding's TD was a 60-yard catch at 13:18.
"I got the ball to the playmakers," said McPherson, who completed 12-of-17 pass attempts for 173 yards and one interception.
"The offensive line gave me time and the receivers made plays." Roster evaluations on both sides of the ball contributed to an error-filled game that got off to a slow start. Winnipeg led 3-2 at halftime.
The Bombers had three turnovers and Montreal chalked up four.
Montreal veteran QBs Anthony Calvillo and Marcus Brady each got a quarter of action before McPherson started the third.
Calvillo was intercepted once and finished 9-of-16 for 85 yards. Brady was 7-of-10 for 75 yards.
It was Calvillo's first game since last Oct. 20. He went on a leave of absence for the last two games of the season to be with his wife as she underwent cancer treatments.
Winnipeg backup Ryan Dinwiddie took over for veteran Kevin Glenn early in the third quarter and engineered his team's only TD.
Dinwiddie sailed a 27-yard pass to rookie receiver Aaron Fairooz and followed it up with a five-yard TD toss to Kerry Johnson with 4:04 left in the game.
Glenn was playing his first game since breaking his non-throwing left arm in last year's CFL East Division Final win over Toronto. Glenn was 12-of-20 for 119 yards and two interceptions. Dinwiddie completed 9-of-14 for 167 yards and no interceptions.
New Bombers punter Duncan O'Mahony didn't have a night to write home about.
Early in the second quarter on a punt, O'Mahony fumbled the ball. Als defensive back Rayshaun Kizer pounced on it and Montreal took over at Winnipeg's seven-yard line. But Calvillo couldn't connect with any of his receivers and Montreal turned the ball over on downs. Montreal opens the regular season travelling to Hamilton for a June 26 game and Winnipeg hosts Toronto June 27.
Notes: Former Winnipeg QB Khari Jones and safety Scott Flagel were honoured at halftime for their induction this week into the Bombers Hall of Fame.
