By Glen Atwell
THE Pakenham reserves side made a premiershipwinning escape from the jaws of defeat on Saturday when they downed Devon Meadows by five points at Edwin Flack Reserve.
In soggy conditions, the seesawing game played as a prelude to the senior grand final, was a scrappy, kicklongatallcosts style of game.
At halftime Pakenham led by onepoint, but Devon Meadows hit the lead in the thirdquarter, when Lucas Hoogenboom kicked a checkside goal from close range to put the Panthers back in front.
Herotobe Ben Kitchin had a chance to reverse the lead, running into an open goal late in the thirdterm, but stumbling and being dispossessed.
As the players jogged to the final huddle for the season, the stage was set for a dramatic conclusion to the season.
Injured Pakenham captaincoach Justin Pearson asked his players for one more effort.
“We’ve been training since 17 January for this and we’re one kick behind in a grand final,” he roared.
“We’re all mates, you have to give this everything you can.”
With the captain on the pine with a badly broken arm, the Lions were wounded and early in the final quarter the Panthers looked set to pounce on the cup.
But when the scores drew level midway through the quarter, the intensity from both sides lifted and players across the ground began throwing themselves onto the ball.
Jarrod Robertson marked inside the Panthers’ attacking 50 and bombed the ball to the goalsquare before the Lions defenders could cover the line and the ball trickled through for a behind to give the Panthers the lead.
But the Lions would not rest and in the final attacking play of the game, Kitchin swooped on a loose ball and snapped a goal over his head, sparking celebrations across the ground.
The Panthers looked lifeless as the siren rang, feeling the effects of the one that got away.
Pakenham’s Cameron Hinkley was awarded best on ground, but it was Kitchin who lived out every football player’s dream.
“I can’t believe it, I can’t really remember it, off the boot I didn’t know whether it was going through or not,” he said of his heroic goal.
After aggravating a cartilage injury in the first quarter, Kitchin limped off the ground, but there was no sign of pain.
“It was a tough game in the rain, they (the Panthers) played well, I’m just glad we got there,” he said.
With his arm in a sling, Pearson said the game was there to be won.
“It came down to a matter of inches, I asked for one more effort and they gave it to me,” he said.
Amid the celebrations, the Pakenham players were quick to point out that the premiership cup could hold two full cans of beer.
