By DAVID NAGEL
PAKENHAM can sneak back into the top five and take front running for a place in the South East Football Netball League finals series when it hosts Doveton at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.
Doveton sits fifth with a miniscule percentage break over the Lions but has an extremely tough draw, meaning victory this week will, basically, assure the home side of a top-five finish.
But lose and it becomes a slog, with round 17 and 18 encounters against Tooradin and ROC set to decide the Lions’ fate.
Pakenham tuned up for the season-defining clash with a dour 20-point victory over Hampton Park at Robert Booth Reserve.
The Redbacks remain winless in 2015, but pushed the Lions, who led by just three points at the final break.
But a 5.5 to 3.0 final quarter kept the Lions’ finals hopes alive.
Russ Lehman and Daniel fry booted three each for the winners who had youngsters Todd Beck and Matt DeBruin in red-hot form around the ground.
A six-goal haul from Mitch Johnson and a best-on-ground display from skipper Madi Andrews have led Berwick to a super-important 20-point victory over Narre Warren at Fox Road.
“We knew the importance of the game on the ladder because we’ve set ourselves to get a double chance this year and we’ve just made our chances a hell of a lot better,” Berwick coach Rhys Nisbet said after his side kicked two games clear of the fourth-placed Magpies on the ladder.
Johnson put the Wickers 40 points up, early in the final quarter, before the Magpies put some respectability into the scoreboard.
ROC led by three points at the final change against Doveton, but ran out of steam on its way to a 30-point loss at Robinson Oval.
Emerging defender James Sloothaak was again impressive for the Kangaroos, who could manage just three points in the final quarter.
Cranbourne kicked 10 goals to three after half time to run away with a 49-point victory over Tooradin.
Marc Holt kicked four, and Ryan Davey was in good touch for the Eagles, while Ben Hallas kicked two and was a prominent performer for the Seagulls.
