By Nick Creely
SOUTH EAST FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE
REVIEW – ROUND 9
A powerful second-term blitz by Pakenham was just enough to overcome a spirited Doveton outfit at Toomuc Reserve on Saturday.
A game that actually had more importance than it probably would have before the start of the season, the Lions now draw within six-points of Officer in fifth as a result of the win over the Doves.
It’s a pressure game that has made the Lions a competitive outfit this season, but at quarter time, the Doves were the cleaner side, taking a three-point advantage courtesy of a classy goal by Alex Mastromanno and a dribbler by Jake Basa.
In a strong opening term – potentially the Doves’ best quarter of the season – the usual suspects in Matthew Boyd, Mitch Cotter and Russ Gabriel were prominent.
The Lions finally got their game up and running in a truly dominant second term considering the slippery conditions, winning more football of the centre and streaming forward with more purpose, opening up a 36-point advantage courtesy of 7.6 to 1.3 quarter.
A brilliant passage of play midway through the second quarter was superb by the Lions, as they opened up the game to run a young opposition ragged.
Gathering the ball cleanly on half-back, Joe-Baker Thomas eventually got the ball off to Stephen Morey who delivered a searing pass to Chris Cardona on the outer wing. Without hesitation, the skipper drilled an inboard pass to the corridor, and ran on again to eventually check side a brilliant captain’s goal.
It summed up the improvement of the Lions’ ball movement, and the ability to put meaningful score on the board and trap the ball inside 50 with extreme forward pressure.
The Doves battled manfully to give themselves a sniff by slamming on four goals to two in the third term, but Ash Green’s side played the percentages in the final term to shut the game away with some dour defensive efforts, running out 19-point winners.
On a promising day for both sides, Steven O’Bryan was in vintage touch for the Lions, while the form of James Harrison (three goals), Adam Alberni (two goals) and Jafar Ocaa is a major tick for a side keeping pressure on the finals race.
Pakenham will fancy their chances against Tooradin-Dalmore in Round 10, with the loser likely to be completely out of the finals race, while Doveton face a massive task against Narre Warren, fresh off their first loss of the season.
Pakenham 11.11 (77)
Doveton 8.10 (58)
