Casey-Cardinia League match of the day – Round 10

By Brad Kingsbury
DOVETON started brilliantly and, apart from a 15-minute patch in the second quarter, was never really challenged in its 15-point win over Cranbourne at Casey Fields on Sunday.
The Doves are now one win away from going through the first round without a loss, while Cranbourne will face a fired up Berwick with third ladder position on the line next Saturday.
A good-sized but strangely quiet crowd watched as veteran Doves’ spearhead Danny Casset goaled twice from strong marks in the opening five minutes and then gave the ball to captain Justin Hill who slotted the visitor’s third major before the Eagles realised the game had started.
That early onslaught turned out to be crucial with Doveton withstanding every challenge and keeping the lead from that point on.
Cranbourne’s first goal came via a trademark Marc Holt mark and kick from 35 metres at the 13-minute mark of the first term and coach Doug Koop later lamented his side’s costly poor starts in its past two matches.
Much of the interest on the day centred on the two key forwards at opposite ends of the ground.
Casset, who has starred since returning to Doveton from interstate after five rounds, saw off Aaron Shedlock and was marked by Daniel Watson from the second term but still had a major influence on the game, finishing with seven goals.
Cranbourne captain Holt, who bore the scars of a heavy knock to the cheek from the week before, was picked up by strong Doveton defender Ricky Hayes but it quickly became obvious that Hayes was not fit and burly team mate Peter Greenstreet took over during the second term.
Holt also won the battle ending the day with six goals, but did not have enough support from his team-mates on the day.
Cranbourne made a run at the Doves with the assistance of a three-goal breeze in the second quarter, but wasted their opportunities and mucked around with the ball allowing the Dove on-ballers time to block space, instead of kicking long and direct to a one out contest.
Doveton led by 10 points at half time and extended that advantage with the wind in the third quarter.
The Eagles attacked for the last six minutes of the third term and kicked two goals, reducing the margin to 23 points at the final change.
The home side had the advantage of the breeze in the last quarter but the deficit proved too great.
Doveton negated all Cranbourne’s early attempts to push forward and worked the margin out to 35 points after Casset slotted through his seventh major at the 17-minute mark, before easing the pressure and allowing the home side to make the scoreline look better than it should have with three late goals in the closing six minutes of the game.
Experienced defender Brad Downe was cool under pressure and set up many attacking moves for the Doves, while midfield maestro Daniel Charles and youngster Shannon Henwood made their presence felt at the many stoppages across the game.
The Doveton effort was made better by the fact that the interchange bench was down to two after half time with Hayes ill and Ben Hoskin injured, together with news that at least six players had been ill and missed training during the week.
Assistant coach Clint Wilson was satisfied with the victory but said there were several areas that still needed to be addressed before his side was playing as he wanted.
“The first half wasn’t our best football but we got through it. We probably went a little too wide and didn’t get the ball in quick enough to Casset who was ‘on’ today,” he said. “That was one area I was disappointed in but (Cranbourne) is a good side and they’ve been pretty consistent this season. At half time I revved up a few of the boys who were down. I think that Cranbourne did outplay us in the first half but we responded after half time and that was good. It’s hard to be up all the time, but we know that and we’re working on that as a group.”
Matt Rus played a solid game as a rebounding half back for the Eagles, while Robert Beadel did a good job quelling the influence of Doveton match-winner Ryan Hendy.
Shedlock was creative after being shifted off Casset and Adam Beaton and Ray George were also damaging in bursts but Cranbourne suffered from inconsistency and Koop was unimpressed with the overall effort of his side. “We played stop-start football and refused to back each other up. That’s something we’ve worked on and that was very disappointing,” he said.
“We allowed Doveton to run the ball and didn’t pressure them. And when we had it our disposal was deplorable into our forward line.”
Centre half forward Troy Tharle-Adams had a bad day and Koop said the Eagles had reverted back to habits of predictability from last year.
“We were far too Marc Holt conscious today and we haven’t had that problem all year,” he said.
“That was disappointing and so was the way we used the ball all day. It was very poor and they were a lot cleaner than us. We’ve been better than that and we certainly need a lift on that effort.”