BOTTOM-placed Keysborough found its best form to outplay and defeat a lethargic Pakenham by 12 points in the upset of the season at the Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.
The Burra made their way to the ground with confidence after recording their first win for 2009 the week before, but nobody thought they could beat the Lions – and that obviously included the Lions!
Keysborough forwards, led by Luke McGuinness, Tyson King and Andrew Ferguson, took advantage of the strong wind in the opening term, kicking six goals to one to lead by 35 points at quarter time.
Pakenham hit back in the second quarter, but could not get its usual free-flowing game going after Keysborough coach Greg Siwes placed several players behind the ball and the Lions still trailed by 13 points at the main break.
Veteran Dan O’Loughlin, Ryan Cassidy and youngster Chris Smith tried to spark the home side into action, but too many of their team-mates sat back in anticipation of a victory just happening.
Again the Burra applied the screws after half-time and, despite the dominant Tyson King leaving the field with a leg injury, extended their lead to 29 points at three-quarter time.
As good sides do, Pakenham rallied in the last quarter and came at their opponents, who again bottled the game up.
However, but the task proved too great and when McGuinness booted his fourth goal for the afternoon from a tight angle into the wind late in the final term, the Pakenham heads dropped.
Shaun Witherden and Jeremy Everett had their usual battle within a battle in the ruck, with the big Burra taking the honours on this occasion, making their personal score one-all for the year after Everett took the honours in round one.
Witherden’s team-mates Daniel Born, Clinton King and David Roberts were also among the best performers for the victors.
Assistant coach Cassidy was disappointed with the effort, but paid credit to Keysborough.
“It was tricky conditions, but both sides had to play in it and that was no excuse,” he said.
“In the first quarter we had a bit of a lapse and probably didn’t recover from there. We didn’t adjust to the conditions as well as they did.
“Full credit to them, they were first in and won the contested footy better than us.
“We have to just get our heads down and work harder on the track, because we’ve got a tough run coming up and efforts like (Saturday’s) are not good enough.”
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Wasteful win to Cranny
FINALS football is on the agenda for Cranbourne this season, but whether the Eagles are just making up the numbers or not is the question posed by observers of their 23-point result over Tooradin at Casey Fields.
As in all games on the weekend, the wind played a part in the day’s football, but Seagull followers were nervous that the match could become a blowout at half-time, with Cranbourne leading by 25 points and kicking with the strong wind in the third term.
Obviously the Tooradin players did not share that worry.
Coach Cristian O’Brien swung Adam Splatt back as a loose player in defence and the Seagulls, led valiantly by Paul Ray, Clint Setford, Steve Arvanitis and Beau Miller, settled down to the task, keeping the home side to only six behinds for the term.
The three-quarter-time lead was 31 points, which proved enough in the end, but there were some nerves in the Cranbourne camp and, although it won more contested ball on the day, coach Doug Koop has plenty to work on before September.
“We mucked around with the ball a bit in the third quarter, but that’s not to take anything away from Tooradin, they played well and bottled us up,” he said.
“We kicked 6.6 in the first quarter and probably just thought it would happen. It was just one of those days.
“The wind was very difficult and it was very blustery. Sometimes that isn’t all that much of an advantage.”
Elusive goalsneak Matt Fletcher finished with five goals in an outstanding performance and Marc Holt booted three for Cranbourne.
Better players for the victors were Troy Aust, Daniel Watson, Ray George and Matt Rus, while the Seagulls were well served by Setford, with three goals, Adam Galea and Jarred Thompson.
@BT Sub Sport Gaz:Doves win ugly
DOVETON was happy to come away from Glover Reserve with four points and no casualties after downing Devon Meadows by 20 points.
The Doves, who were without star spearhead Danny Casset and rover Michael Henry, lost the toss and were challenged by the determined Panthers who kicked with a strong breeze in the opening term and shot out to a five-goal lead at the first change.
Ash Adams and Aaron Henneman created problems for the visitors in attack and it was ‘game on’ as the undefeated top side was put under pressure out of the midfield.
However, like good sides do, Doveton responded in the second quarter and piled on seven goals with Adam Dean and Justin Hill making the most of their opportunities in attack and Ricky Hayes a rock across half-back.
The Doves led by eight points at half-time, but it was their effort in the scrappy and dour third quarter that won the game.
Hill and Russell Gabriel were positioned behind the ball and, despite the Devon Meadows’ midfielders getting on top led by Jesse Dehey, Callum O’Hare and Guy Chisnall, the Doves restricted the home side to only two goals and a three-quarter-time lead of only seven points with the wind.
The Doveton runners took over in the final term and Ryan Hendy, Shannon Henwood and his cousin Aaron took control to see their team home, despite two late goals from the home side against the flow of play.
Doveton assistant coach Clint Wilson was just happy to walk away with the points.
“It was a hard contest, it always is down there, especially with that wind, but we probably had our best quarter into it when we kept them to two goals in the third,” he said.
“We were happy to get away with what I reckon was not a bad win in the end.”
