Two late goals drove Panton Hill to their second straight win in the NFNL Division 3 Women’s competition, defeating Hurstbridge by 11 points at Ben Frilay Oval.
The Bridges led at half time by seven points, with the Redbacks yet to register a score at that stage, before a four goal to one second half, which included two late final quarter goals, saw the visitors claim a 4.1 (25) to 2.2 (14) victory.
The inaugural senior women’s side end the round on top of the ladder and are one of two teams remain undefeated so far in 2024.
There were multiple Panton Hill players who played a key role in the final result.
Mia Jackson was outstanding, elevating her game in the second half to help the Redbacks secure the four points, meanwhile Molly White impressed up forward, kicking two crucial last quarter goals.
Kayla North and Angela Milesi did well in supporting their forwards to win the contests and send their side into attack.
The Bridges were fierce through the middle, with Chloe Topperwein dominating the ruck and vice-captain Kristy Steven controlling things all over the ground.
Ruby Butterfield’s hunger for the ball and work rate led to Hurstbridge’s strong start, and co-captain Natarsha Harrop was instrumental in the home side’s ball movement from defence to offence.
The first quarter saw some great defensive efforts from both teams. The ball spent most of the term inside Panton Hill’s forward 50 but some great intercepts from Chloe Topperwein and Kristy Steven meant that the Redbacks were unable to convert any inside 50 entries into scores.
In the latter stages of the term, Hurstbridge started to work their way towards their own forward 50 but initially, it only allowed Panton Hill the chance to show off their defensive work.
Monique Ramsay and captain Jess Dight in particular made it very difficult for the Bridges to get on the board, however the hosts would find a way to get the first goal of the match after Briney Prideaux was able to sneak through a major.
Hurstbridge led by that goal at quarter time, with the second term being just as much of an arm wrestle as the first, as only a single behind was registered between either side.
Both teams were laying on the defensive pressure, leading to only intercept marks in the arcs.
Bianca Walker and Bridie Groves shone in their efforts to keep the ball moving for the Redbacks, but Hurstbridge defender Kadi Ness worked just as hard to ensure her opponents got no simple opportunities towards goal.
Following a defensive first half, the forward lines got their chance to have a say on the game as the third quarter commenced, and it would be the visitors who would win the term.
Bridie Groves and Bianca Walker’s determination for the ball was rewarded with a goal each for Panton Hill, which came either side of a Natarsha Harrop major, keeping the Bridges in front by three quarter time, albeit, by just a point.
The final quarter saw the Redbacks kick it up a gear with Jessica Hall and Tianah Wilks-Smith shining in their efforts to put Panton Hill in front for the first time all afternoon.
Hurstbridge were only able to put a minor score to their name during the quarter, although their defensive pressure was fierce, illustrated by Kristy Steven who was everywhere for her side.
But the Redbacks kept fighting, and in the late stages of the quarter, they would fire two goals in the space of a minute, both coming from Molly White, to see them burst out to an 11-point lead.
With thanks to the Panton Hill midfielders’ clearance work and their ability to keep the ball inside their attacking half, the visitors prevailed to remain unbeaten in 2024.
Photo supplied by Bluestream Pictures.
