Bombers pull off great escape against Hillmen
Yallourn-Yallourn North pulled off a great escape by stealing a victory from Hill End late in the game 8-8-56 to 8-6-54.
The Rovers were still carrying some confidence into their round four clash on the back of recording one of their very best wins in many years just weeks earlier when they defeated reigning premiers Trafalgar on their home ground.
It was that confidence that had the Rovers within minutes of claiming an even more famous win when they led by less than a kick with just minutes to go.
Bombers coach Barrie Burnett gave “credit to our boys for digging deep in the last quarter and getting the job done. I’m happy with the win, but not the performance” Hill End are much improved, he commented. Keenan Hughes was pivotal again for the Bombers, his four goals probably the difference, but it remains a heartbreaking loss for the Rovers that despite their much improved form, still have just have the four premiership points to show from their four rounds of footy in 2019.
Hill End started to find some room to move after quarter time when they found themselves in front by nine points at half time.
It was a lead they were able to increase to 16 points at the final break and it seemed that, maybe, just maybe, the Rovers were on the verge of one of its most significant wins in the past decade.
Hill End coach, Mike Santo said he team again showed it can match it with the very best, but to lose a 16-point lead at three quarter time was hard to swallow.
“We controlled huge portions of the game but just lacked polish and the belief when it mattered,” he said Good sides just find a way to win. Sometimes it’s ugly, sometimes its pure brilliance, sometimes its even a bit of both but whatever it was on the weekend, it’s a win that can really dent the confidence of Hill End who could feel robbed of what it deserved.
That said, the Bombers got what they were expected to get and Hill End also can look ahead with the knowledge they have very close to what they need to threaten a finals berth later in the year. Thorpdale v Mirboo North Mirboo North extended their winning start to the 2019 season to four in a row, after the easiest of victories over Thorpdale 18-17-125 to 4-2-26.
In recent seasons the Blues have always been a tough team to beat on their home deck no matter where they happened to be on the ladder.
Times have changed in recent months, however, as new coach Ray Pickering slowly rebuilds the foundations of his football club.
One just hopes both he and his players have the strength to power on through a really tough period.
Pickering said it was a much improved effort from the boys.
They tackled and pressured hard all game but skills and fitness once again let the side down.
Mirboo North made their intentions very clear in the first 30 minutes when they opened a better than four-goal lead.
Tigers’ coach Josh Taylor also credited Thorpdale for its pressure around the ball but added it was another good win for Mirboo North.
He said the side’s second halves all season have seen it break away due to its our fitness that is good.
The 25-point margin was stretched out to 41 by half time and the game was already out of reach of the home side.
As impressive as the constant pressure was from the Tigers, equally as impressive was their ability to keep the Blues to just a single goal in each of the four quarters.
Taylor added that the group was really hungry and with players prepared to sacrifice their own games to play roles crucial for our side.
Mirboo North’s four game winning streak is expected to stretch to five when they take on Boolarra next round, ahead of a bye the following week.
The Tigers have stamped themselves as a real contender for a top three position Boolarra v Trafalgar
Trafalgar did just what they were expected to do when they trounced Boolarra on the Demons home ground 15-5-95 to 4-3-27.
The Bloods had shown glimpses of what they are capable of just a week earlier when they cut through Thorpdale over the Anzac Day weekend.
There were many similarities in their style of play in that victory, to that of 2018, and should have sent alarm bells through the competition.
Trafalgar certainly have not hit the lofty heights of form they had in their premiership year 12 months ago but they are starting to edge closer as each week passes.
Bloods’ coach Clint Eisendel described Saturday’s as a good performance.
He was happy with the ball movement, defensive system and connection into forward 50metre area.
Eisendel acknowledged improvement by Boolarra who were highly competitive in patches but lacked a key forward.
The 10-goal win, more workmanlike than brilliant, but a win all the same and with it comes four valuable premiership points that will be crucial for the Bloods at the business end of the year.
Eisendel said clearance work and tackle count would be a focus ahead of next Saturday’s clash with Morwell East. Boolarra were never going to win. The match will give coach Tony Giardina an indication of what work is still required in the months and maybe even years ahead.
He said the Demons were a bit slow to start before holding Trafalgar scoreless for 22 minutes.
And they the first three goals of the second half.
Trafalgar now set their sights on building a chain of wins while for the Demons they need to prepare for possibly their toughest opponent to date, the top of the table Mirboo North on their home deck. Yinnar v Newborough
It may have been the easy kill Yinnar needed, a better than 10-goal win over Newborough, 1414-98 to 4-11-35.
The Magpies have tended to cough their way through the season to date, showing patches of both very good and very poor form.
A although this win was well short of their very best performance it was part of a foundation being built for the months ahead.
It’s still unclear just where the Magpies sit this season.
Their form is a long way short of last season when they finished as the second best side in the competition.
Newborough on the other hand are under no illusions as to where they sit, totally aware of the work that needs to be done both with securing the personnel they need and developing the talent they have.
Bulldogs coach Dean Caldow said the efforts there and the side is very positive.
With such a young inexperienced team they lack consistency.
Yinnar will have access to more of their list in the weeks ahead including the many new faces that will spend more time together in match conditions.But it will need to improve to threaten a few sides that at this early stage appear to have edged ahead.