HAMPTON Park coach Jason Chapple paid tribute to the young Devon Meadows side after his injurydepleted team suffered a lastgasp sixpoint loss on Saturday.
“Those young kids at Devon Meadows really did well,” he said.
“Okay, they had a bit of luck, but they didn’t stop running all day and we just didn’t have anyone on the bench to counter them after halftime.”
The game at Glover Reserve had its share of controversy with a report in the second quarter and several telling umpiring decisions late in the game.
Young Redback Sean Nunan was reported and redcarded early in the second term for allegedly striking and then allowed back on the ground after halftime, after umpires told the clubs he was only yellow carded.
Nunan was off the field for 25 minutes and match underdogs Devon Meadows took advantage to be within three points of the Redbacks at the main break.
Hampton Park was without a fit interchange bench after the long break with key players including Kerem Baskaya and Eric Singh off the field.
The game became a battle of attrition with Panthers’ coach Wayne Briggs using his fresh legs and rotations off the bench to stretch the tiring Redbacks.
Hampton Park stretched an eightpoint threequartertime lead into a 20point advantage late in the final term and appeared to have the game in its keeping.
However the Panthers would not lie down and booted four goals, two of which came as a result of 50metre penalties, to grab the lead and then hang on to record a moraleboosting win.
Panther fullforward Craig Hunter booted six goals to be among his team’s best with David Grose, Chris Shepherdson and Tim Blundy, while Dane Rawlings and Linden Fredericks were sensational for Hampton Park.
Chapple said the club’s senior injury list had grown to 10 and his only focus was on gaining a win at present, while Briggs was relieved to break his duck in the league.
Briggs said both sides gave their all and it was a really great game.
“We’ve got a lot of young kids who don’t see the bench as a sinbin any more. It’s a tool that you can use for a rest and that helped us maintain fresh legs throughout the day,” he said.
“Being a new coach to the league at a new club, it was nice to get a win for sure.”
IT’S official Keysborough is a legitimate contender in the 2006 Casey Cardinia League this season, after a gallant 35point loss to competition benchmark Doveton.
That was the conclusion of the majority of the big crowd that witnessed the Burra’s attempt to upset the Doves, including Doveton coach Steve Henwood.
“They’ve got a good goaltogoal line and they’re pretty strong. They chased hard, tackled hard and took it right up to us,” he said.
“If they get their fitness up and keep improving they could finish higher than the middle of the ladder this year for sure.”
While the margin to the Doves reads as relatively convincing, Keysborough took the game up to them after a slow start and maintained strong physical pressure until the end.
Doveton’s fivegoal margin at halftime proved to be a handy buffer as the Burra threw everything they had at their opponents in the third term and trailed by 23 points at the final change.
Two quick goals at the start of the last quarter had the home side crowd in full voice, but Doveton steadied with Justin Hill and Dale Kilpatrick taking control in the forward half and booting important goals as the Doves’ edge in fitness took effect.
Henwood said Keysborough had thrown everything at them in the third and at the start of the last quarter, but was happy with the way the Doves reacted under pressure.
Hill has started the season in scintillating form and was best afield, assisted by teammates including Shannon Clarke, David George and youngster Brad Virgona, while Stuart Nagle, Corey Wilkinson and William Gayfer had plenty of the ball for Keysborough.
CRANBOURNE embarrassed league cellardwellers Dingley with a 151point drubbing at Souter oval.
Dingley scored only four behinds for the game and failed to score at all in the second half, highlighting the club’s inability to compete in the Casey Cardinia competition.
Cranbourne was methodical in its demolition of its young and undermanned opposition, scoring evenly throughout the day and maintaining pressure, possession and therefore control of the game.
Strongmarking Cranbourne spearhead Marc Holt booted nine goals in a powerful display of forward play, while teammates including Ash Adams, Matt Thompson, Ryan Davey and coach Brett McMaster hit top form on the afternoon.
Dingley is down and as good as out.
Among the Dingoes better triers in the senior game were Brett Lavars, Luke Sherry and Rohan Watson, but they simply had no answers for their stronger opponents.
The Dingley reserves booted only two goals after club officials flagged their concern that they would struggle to field a seconds team on the weekend and it is difficult to see the club registering a victory in either grade this year.
