WINS by Epping and Watsonia saw both draw level with South Morang on seven wins following 11 rounds of action in Division 3.
Epping caused the upset of the day when it defeated South Morang by 20 points at Mill Park Lakes Reserve last week.
Coming off the bye, the Lions found themselves down by 22 points at quarter time. They only managed to win the final three terms by two points – so the fast start by Epping proved to be crucial.
Despite the loss, Wayne Pavitt kicked six goals, while Daniel Delromano continued his stellar season for South Morang.
Josh Stavely returned after having not played since Round 9 and immediately found good touch for the Blues. Mitchell Henwood played his best game for the year.
Joining Epping and South Morang on seven wins was Watsonia. This puts the Saints a win ahead of their entire 2014 season, despite playing only nine games.
The Saints controlled the game after quarter time at Heidelberg Park against Heidelberg West and went on to record at 72-point victory.
“It was nice to carry on the good form of the second half against Banyule,” Saints coach Corey McCall said. “We now have a tough month ahead of us”.
Nabil Yassine excelled for Watsonia on the wing, while Jeremy Bennett returned to his 2014 form – kicking six goals. Kyl Ewart maintained his lead on the goal-kicking ladder with a bag of five for the Hawks.
“We didn’t play four quarters of footy and our run and carry has been down a bit,” Heidelberg West co-captain Brad Moore – who was the best for the Hawks – said.
Reservoir scored the first four goals of the game, but Banyule was able to kick 10 unanswered majors either side of half time and then go on to record a convincing 44-point victory at Beverley Road Reserve. It was the Bears’ first win against a top-four team.
Mustang Robert Graham did an excellent job in restricting Scott Gumbleton to two majors. But there was a plethora of other avenues to goal for the Bears, including Richard Dennis who returned from injury to kick four majors.
Adam Barclay starred – despite kicking only one goal – while Will Drapac played better as the game wore on and looks to be in fine touch.
“I’m absolutely rapt for the boys to get reward for their effort,” Banyule coach Jason Plant said.
Ash Flavel finished well up forward for the Mustangs with five majors, while teammate Kent Beaumont slotted three.
“You have got to play four quarters of footy to win games,” Reservoir coach Ross Terranova said. “Ours was a disappointing display when we were challenged.”
The win puts Banyule within striking distance of the top four – two wins behind the Mustangs, but with a game in hand. The Bears won’t get a chance to close the gap until after their Round 12 bye when they play Epping.
St Mary’s also has a chance to play finals football in 2015. But, like Banyule, it will need to beat a few sides above it in order to bridge the gap.
The Burra face a tough challenge in Round 12 action of Division 3 football when they travel to Epping Recreation Reserve to play Epping.
These teams have not met since the first round – when Epping won by a solitary goal at the same venue.
The Blues will be full of confidence after downing South Morang away last week and are expected to start firm favourites.
Ladder-leader South Morang hosts bottom placed Heidelberg West at Mill Park Lakes Reserve.
The Lions will be keen to atone for the Epping loss – especially as another defeat could cost them top spot on the table. The Hawks almost pulled off a huge upset in their Round 2 tussle – going down by just two points at Heidelberg Park.
The match with the most interest sees Reservoir host Watsonia. The Mustangs need a win to keep a firm grip on their place in the top four. They currently sit two games clear of both Banyule and St Mary’s, but have played an extra game than each.
The Saints won their Round 3 clash at A.K. Lines Reserve by 21 points and would be slightly favoured to win this one. With the other teams on seven wins both favoured also, they would love a win here to keep the double chance within reach.
