A devastating opening three quarters led Greensborough to a 53-point victory over West Preston-Lakeside at War Memorial Park in Round 4.
The game was over at three quarter time with Greensborough kicking 17 goals to six, which included four of captain Tim Bongetti’s five goals and five to youngster Rhys Boyden.
The Borough had a lapse in concentration in the final quarter but it was not enough to prevent a solid victory, with the final scoreline 18.8 (116) to 9.9 (63).
In one of the most clinical displays seen this year, Greensborough burst out of the blocks with plenty of run and overlap leaving West Preston-Lakeside standing still.
A play on at all costs approach allowed the ball to be moved quickly into the forward line, giving the likes of Bongetti and Boyden plenty of opportunities.
While its plays developed with run and overlap, the genesis of Greensborough’s attacks was its pressure. Both physical tackles and implied pressure created many turnovers which resulted in scoring opportunities.
One of the leaders of this style of play was Josh Griffiths. Griffiths was constantly receiving handballs and driving the ball forward and he even managed a goal himself. He was supported in the midfield by Matthew Hyde and Ricky Mullins.
As for West Preston-Lakeside, there was little to celebrate on a tough day. Anthony Rocca managed five goals from limited opportunities, while Pece Micevski resisted the Greensborough onslaught by winning plenty of contested football and distributing it to his teammates.
Much of the run that the Roosters are known for was missing, even with the likes of James Rizzolio and Luke McKenna attempting to turn things around by breaking lines. The pressure applied by Greensborough simply suffocated West Preston-Lakeside.
Greensborough coach Robert Hyde stressed the importance of a good start to each quarter, and even after the opening quarter blitz he reminded his players that the first goal of each quarter was important to keep the Roosters at a safe distance.
He proved to be right as Greensborough extended its lead by at least three goals in the second and third quarters after kicking the first goals of each term.
However, the Borough could not keep their intensity up for the whole game as the Roosters grabbed the first goal of the final quarter.
While this did begin a quarter in which they outscored their opponents it was too little too late for the now ninth-placed Roosters.
Final score: Greensborough 18.8 (116) def West Preston-Lakeside 9.9 (63)
