Reservoir looked every inch a finals contender with a 53-point win over Watsonia at Binnak Park in Round 14 action of Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 football.
Both teams, reserves and officials gathered for a minute’s silence prior to the main game to honour Nathan Fitzgerald.
Mustang fans will remember the Round 2 clash between these teams at Crispe Park when Cameron Cloke booted his season high nine goals to get the Saints over the line.
That day Marcus Cantwell was in the ruck for Reservoir, but the presence of Jack Berry in the ruck allowed Cantwell to mind Cloke. Cloke claimed a mark low down early in the first term. His shot from 40-metres out slammed into the post.
The miss summed up the early parts of the contest, with the Mustangs kicking three behinds up the other end.
Jai Bartzis looked the most dangerous forward on the ground in the first term and slotted the first major of the contest. Reservoir controlled the rest of the term with goals to Aaron Edwards and Josh Grabowski.
Watsonia had extra players in the defensive fifty and attempted to run and gun the ball from there. It resulted in a low-scoring first quarter as they were generally unable to go coast-to-coast.
The Saints dominated inside fifties for a period in the second term but yielded a return of 1.3. It gave them a narrow two-point lead midway through the quarter. The Mustangs made them pay just before half time with three unanswered goals to take a handy 17-point lead into the main break.
The Watsonia players sensed the need to bridge the gap after half time and regularly sent the ball into forward fifty. But it was a crowded forward line, and the deep forward kicks rarely found their target.
Finally, James Latross marked for the Saints and his shot from 45 metres out sailed over the goal umpire’s hat. The deficit had been reduced to eleven points and a close finish seemed likely.
Enter Dean Jeffrey for Reservoir. He was goalless in the first half but kicked three majors in as many minutes to send the margin out to 29 points. The game looked safe from that point onwards, with the Mustangs taking a 35-point buffer into the last break.
Watsonia coach Anthony McGregor spoke to his players at the break and urged his players to put pressure on the Reservoir defence. The Mustangs had easily moved the ball from defensive fifty in the crucial third term.
Any chance of a miracle comeback was snuffed out early in the final term, with Reservoir slotting three of the first four goals. When Jeffrey kicked his fourth, the margin was an unassailable 48 points.
A goal to Rikki Newton after the siren brought up the triple figures for the Mustangs, with the final score being 104-51. It was a big win for them, perhaps their best win of the year, in what appeared to a fifty-fifty game for the tipsters.
“We were challenged early and it was a good response by the boys,” said Reservoir coach Joe Palazzolo. “We played out style of football, and we showed that it stands up.”
Palazzolo loved the work of Marcus Cantwell who kept Cameron Cloke goalless. He also gave big ticks to Jack Berry in the ruck as well as Josh Grabowski, Mark Ferraro and Josh Mascara.
The Mustangs out pressured the opposition and spread well once the won the ball. Aaron Edwards kicked four goals, including a wonderful snap from a set shot near the behind post. The other ex-AFL players in Bachar Houli and Trent Cotchin contributed well, while captain Jack Sandric led a winning defence and Justin Taylor was productive in the midfield.
It was the biggest loss at home for the Saints. James Latross was the only multiple goal-kicker with a couple, while Charlie Smythe and Luke Sansonetti held up well in defence. Late in the contest, Cloke engineered a wonderful tap to small Declan Pearse who snapped the goal.
“Reservoir was accountable and clean; we were not,” said Watsonia coach Anthony McGregor. McGregor noted the good work of brothers Ryan and Dean Talarico.
Reservoir has strengthened its grip on third spot prior with upcoming games against Ivanhoe and Laurimar. The Saints have the bye and then have an important match-up with Mernda.
