MACLEOD held off a late Greensborough charge to record its third win in succession, winning by 16 points at War Memorial Park on a wintery Saturday afternoon in Round 4.
The Roos were in front all day, but an inspired Greensborough outfit was able to get right back into the match, cutting the deficit to nine points during the fourth quarter.
But as the heavens opened up, the Roos kicked clear and recorded a memorable 10.9 (69) to 7.11 (53) win.
Having been previously undefeated, the Boro were slight favourites heading into the game following wins against Montmorency, Eltham and West Preston-Lakeside. However, it was the Roos who dominated the contested ball from the first bounce.
With star players like Kane Shaw, Reid Brandt and Hamish Paynter finding plenty of the ball, Macleod was able to take ascendency over a sluggish Greensborough side, whose disposal efficiency was not up to scratch early.
In the opening stages the only attacking being done was from the Roos, and they were able to score after some missed opportunities, with Mathew Pow slotting home their first.
Another soon followed as Sean Driscoll snapped around his body to give the visitors an early 14-point buffer.
The Boro were able to respond through spearhead Tim Bongetti, as he kicked two of the last three goals of the quarter to reduce the margin to a single point at the first break – a good result for the host after being put on the back foot early.
The Boro couldn’t keep their momentum running into the second quarter, as Reid Brandt kicked his first of the game to put the Roos up by seven early in the term.
Daniel Haynes kicked another for Macleod soon after as they burst out to a two-goal buffer.
End-to-end ball movement took control of the game for the majority of the term as both sides struggled to take a mark inside their forward 50 for some time.
The Boro finally broke the goal drought, kicking one through ruckman Michael Hooper to reduce the margin to one goal. But a mark on the half-time siren to Driscoll enabled him to kick his second to give Macleod a 12-point lead at the main break.
As the heavens opened up above, so too did a flurry of Macleod goals, as Reid Brandt kicked two of the Roos’ next three goals to take a game-high 29-point lead at the final break.
In slippery conditions, the ball was very hard to handle during the third term as both sides threw everything into the contest. Despite being held goalless, the Boro did have their fair of chances, but were only able to kick six behinds for their efforts.
Needing something special to secure their fourth win in succession, the Boro started the final quarter in the best possible fashion. Goals to Matt Fowler, Corey Cogan and Tristan Stead within the first 10 minutes of the term put them right back in the game, trailing by just nine points with plenty of time to go.
The Roos had not scored for the term and hadn’t looked like doing so. That was until a costly backline error from the Boro saw Nick Lynch pounce and slam home the sealer against the run of play.
The Roos were well led from defence by Kane Shaw and Brad Leggett, who both provided good run out of the back half. Meanwhile, 23rd-man Reid Brandt kicked three for the day.
The Boro’s best were Matt Fowler, Lachlan McQuilken and Andrew Stellas in a disappointing day for the club, where they let slip a chance to move first on the ladder following Bundoora’s loss to West Preston-Lakeside.
Despite the defeat, Greensborough still remains third on the table, with Macleod snapping at its heels in fourth.
The Boro now take on Northcote Park at War Memorial Park in a must-win encounter for the Neale ‘Cowboy’ Carroll Cup. The Roos take on Bundoora at De Winton Park in an intriguing top-four clash.
Final score: Greensborough 7.11 (53) def by Macleod 10.9 (69)
