By DAVID NAGEL
BARRING an absolute miracle, Hampton Park will start its finals campaign with a double-chance under its belt after a commanding 59-34 victory over Berwick at Edwin Flack Reserve.
All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place for the Redbacks on the weekend, with Doveton’s victory over Beaconsfield leaving Kylie Kibble and her side 14 points clear of the fourth-placed Eagles with just a handful of games remaining.
And Saturday’s loss leaves Berwick in a precarious position too, in sixth-place and with the very real likelihood of missing a finals berth for the first time in many a season.
After an even start, the Redbacks set up their victory with an explosive burst, with a staggering 35 goals to 13 during the second and third quarters.
It wasn’t so much the goal difference that was impressive, but more the fact that it was done against a team that had been in pretty good form in recent times.
The inclusion of star goal-shooter Emma Ryde obviously made a difference, but it was the overall team performance that was most impressive on the weekend.
Doveton has snuck quietly back into the top-five after continuing its recent dominance over Beaconsfield at Robinson Oval.
The Doves, who scored an impressive 25-goal victory over the Eagles back in round three, started fast, and never took the foot off the pedal, securing a 55-27 win on the weekend.
It must be purely match-ups that worry the Eagles when they play the Doves, because their form has been better against the quality teams in the competition.
Beacy has defeated Berwick and Hampton Park, and drawn with Pakenham, while Doveton has failed against all the other teams in the top five except the Eagles.
On Saturday it was in-form goal-shooter Rahni Samason that led the way for the Doves, shooting 16 of her side’s first-quarter goals and 25 of 30 until half-time.
The Doves’ defence was also sensational with Cara Humbert, Liz Edwards and Lesina Lalotoa keeping the Eagles to just 11 goals in the first half. The pressure applied by Kate Murphy (wing attack) and Breanne Miller (centre) through the midcourt also made the Eagles a bit jittery.
Beaconsfield coach Amy Heath made some changes midway through the second quarter, with Kylie Baker, Danielle Cameron and Gabby Stinear swapping bibs, but it was to no avail.
Ladder-leaders Narre Warren took three-quarters to shake off a determined Cranbourne outfit, eventually prevailing 38-27 at Kalora Park.
The Magpies had a four-goal lead at quarter time and appeared headed for a comfortable victory … but the Eagles hit back. With Monalisa Groom in good form under the ring, the Eagles matched the Magpies in the second term, with nine goals each, before winning the third quarter eight goals to seven.
It left them three-goals adrift at the final break, forcing the premiership favourites to lift their tempo once again. Elly Stewart slotted 10 goals in the final quarter to give the Magpies a boost ahead of this week’s clash against Pakenham.
It was a solid victory from the Magpies, considering their skipper Jade Heinrich watched on from the sidelines all day. Leigh Taylor (centre) took on the midcourt role with aplomb, while Tracey Dell (goal keeping) and Kara Hargraves (goal defence) were dominant at the defensive end when the prize was on the line in the final quarter.
ROC won its third game for the season, and its second against Tooradin, with a 43-28 victory over the Seagulls at Starling Road.
The Kangaroos, who have suffered some close losses during their recent five-game losing streak, finally received some reward for their efforts. Players like Lauren Hargreaves, Kylie Bradshaw, Laura Quinn, Amy Tivendale and Sophie Tracey can now look forward to the remainder of the season with a bit of confidence under their belts.
The Kangaroos have already shown they’re capable of pulling off a surprise, having defeated Doveton in round two, so can face a tough finish to the season with relish.
Tooradin remains winless, and has a tough draw ahead, but you get the feeling that players like Ebony Dolan, Tara Smith, Stacey Sawyer and Dayle Willis won’t give up on the season without a fight.
Pakenham had the bye.
