FIFTH position on the Casey Cardinia league ladder is still wide open after ROC failed to seal its finals berth for the second week in succession.
The Kangaroos capitulated late in the game and went down to Keysborough by 19 points after scores were level at threequarter time, leaving them only half a game ahead of both the Burra and Beaconsfield, with a trip to meet Doveton beckoning this Saturday.
Excluding onfield general Adam Williams who is nursing a broken hand, Keysborough had its best team available on Saturday and that saw the Burra field only 19 players in the senior side to enable compliance with the MPNFL playerpoints system.
After an even first half that saw the Burra lead by a goal at quartertime and seven points at halftime, ROC lifted its work rate to dominate the third term, but wasted its opportunities in front of goals, booting 2.7 to two goals for the term.
With scores level at threequarter time, Keysborough coach Paul Jeffries told his charges that it was do or die because there was no tomorrow as far as finals were concerned and they responded by booting three goals to none to see the side home.
Key forwards Luke McGuinness and Greg Walker kicked 14 of the Burra’s 17 goals in an outstanding display, while defender Corey Wilkinson was also in great form all day.
Jeffries was thrilled with the effort and agreed publicly for the first time this year that finals were now a possibility for his side.
“It was our best win by far and it was like a grand final to me,” he said.
“The first three quarters I thought we were chipping the ball around and I just said to them at threequarter time to get the ball out of the middle and kick it long. They did and we won the game.
“We play Cranbourne at Casey this week and that’s our next challenge, but the other sides (in the fight for fifth place) have got a hard run and if we can keep winning well finals are possible,” he said.
ROC faltered again when a game was there to be won, but it was not the fault of Anthony Young, Craig Eagleton, Damian Talbot or Jarrod Goodes who battled manfully all afternoon.
Coach Hayden Stanton was exasperated at the result and said his team had made it hard for itself in the coming weeks.
“What a wonderful couple of weeks!”
“We just weren’t good enough to win the game. We had to take our playmakers out of the game to try and nullify all their guns up forward, but we had our chances in the third quarter and we missed shots,” he said.
“It was just another disappointing day. We have to find a way to bounce back now, it’s that simple.”
BERWICK put the disappointment of last week’s onepoint loss behind it, taking out the frustration on an undermanned Devon Meadows to the tune of 65 points at Glover Reserve.
The Wickers always looked to have a class edge over the young Panthers and kicked clear to lead by 29 points at quartertime, sparking hometeam supporters’ fears of another spanking.
However the Panthers lifted in the second quarter, booting five goals to three and trailing by only 16 points at the long interval.
Berwick coach Ronnie Burns who played, but was forced from the ground in the first quarter after aggravating a corked leg, stung his charges out of their lethargy in his halftime address and the flood gates opened with spearhead Ryan Donaldson booting goals and midfielders Adam Mott and Randall Rioli taking control.
Rioli was among the best players in his first senior appearance for the club, while Mott, David VanDiemen, Chris Kickett and Brad Molineux also rose to the occasion and Burns said there had been some good signs.
“It was good in the end. We started off a bit slowly, but after a bit of a spur on to get their minds going we kicked up another gear and won it okay,” he said.
“We should have had the game done in the second quarter. It’s a mental thing and we have quarters where we just don’t get going. It’s something that I’ll work on in the offseason and also next year.”
The Panthers better players included Robert Baumgartner, Keith Moon and the consistent Andrew Cotton.
HAMPTON Park was challenged by a surprisingly competitive Dingley in the first half of Saturday’s game at the Souter oval, before snapping into gear and bolting away to win by 129 points.
Redbacks’ spearhead Kerem Baskaya booted 11 goals in the victory, while Matthew Dixon was named best afield.
While many were surprised that the Redbacks only led the Dingoes by 35 points at halftime, the score was more an indication that it is becoming more difficult for coaches to motivate their charges to perform at their best against the bottomplaced club.
Hampton Park is now only four points behind thirdplaced Doveton and has a significant percentage advantage, but coach Jason Chapple was only looking towards this Saturday’s game against Beaconsfield.
“I was just happy to get through without an injury. We rested a few players which is a luxury, but we thought it was a good chance to do that,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to Beaconsfield this week and we’re taking that game very seriously after they gave us a touch up in the first round.”
Dingley’s season from hell is nearing an end, but William Kelly, Jai Smith, Tony Lavars and Chris Morgan continue to apply themselves, despite the odds.
