By DAVID NAGEL
PAKENHAM survived a real scare against ROC at Starling Road on Saturday, with the Lions moving to third on the Casey Cardinia league ladder after a grinding 15-point victory.
The Lions, who led by just two points at three-quarter time, switched ruckman Kym Jones forward at the start of the last term and the move paid instant dividends. Jones’ physical presence up forward made a huge difference, kicking two goals himself, as the Lions kicked clear with four unanswered goals to start the term.
ROC rallied late, but the Lions held firm for their eighth win of the season.
Jones was best afield while Cory Lenders, Jason Williams, Sam Blackwood and Russ Lehman were effective all afternoon for the winners. Andrew Logan was superb for the home side, doing a great job blanketing the Lions’ key play-maker in Steve O’Bryan while Greg Tivendale’s three goals came after a great battle with Lions’ defender Nathan Brown. Both sides have a bye this weekend.
REIGNING premier Narre Warren produced a magnificent second half to run away from Cranbourne by 65 points on Saturday night to confirm itself as the team to beat for this year’s crown.
The Eagles kick out to a 22-point buffer early in the third, but the Magpies responded in the grandest of style, kicking 15 of the last 16 goals in the match.
Skipper Michael Collins and youngsters Dylan Quirk and Josh Tonna led the way, with the champs piling on seven unanswered goals to take a 22-point lead to the final break. The Magpies totally dominated the final term, kicking 8.3 to 1.2, as the Eagles looked tired and made tired decisions.
Kerem Baskaya finished with six and brother Kain was magnificent for the winners who had Collins, Tonna and Quirk in fine form all evening, while Ryan Morrison did a terrific job of keeping Marc Holt goal-less after quarter time.
The Eagles best players, not surprisingly, were defenders with Stu Morrish, Matt Thompson, Matt Rus and Ray George joining Justin Berry on the their best players list.
DOVETON has spirit, and it’s a quality it drew upon in spades to overcome Beaconsfield by seven points at Robinson Oval.
Five goals from ex-Hawthorn player Jarrad Boumann was the highlight of a victory that saw the Doves join the Eagles on seven wins apiece and keep their double-chance hopes alive.
A dour-contest, where only five goals were scored in the first three quarters, opened up in the last, as the Doves stretched their two-point lead with a 4.2 to 3.3 final term.
Boumann, proved the match-winner, while Matt Stapleton, Scott Dinsdale and Nick Battle were all effective. Ruckman Scott Meyer, again, was the Eagles’ best while Ethan Clasby, Kane Hughes and captain Daniel Mislicki never stopped trying.
