IN a battle between two undefeated sides it was Lalor who edged passed the Fitzroy Stars in an epic eight-point win in Round 2.
The 15.15 (105) to 14.13 (97) victory propelled Lalor to the top of the Division 2 ladder after two rounds.
Having defeated the Bloods in their previous nine outings, the Stars were the highly fancied side heading into the fixture. However, from the onset it was clear Lalor was an improved side and past results would count for little.
The Bloods were dominant in the opening five minutes, kicking 2.2 thanks to goals to Ben Curtiss and new recruit Shane Jacobs.
The Stars were able to impact on the scoreboard when John Hayes capitalised on superb midfield ball use. Hayes then kicked his second goal by snapping from 50 metres out on the boundary.
With the composure of Scott Dowell in midfield, the Bloods steadied and held a 12-point lead heading into quarter time.
The second term began in similar fashion to the first, with the Bloods having the first attempt at goal, but fortunately for the Stars, Todd Hughes was unable to capitalise on a brilliant pass from Shane Jacobs.
Hughes redeemed himself and kicked a goal after receiving a free kick for a push in the back and when Jarrod King spun around and kicked a sublime goal from the boundary on the arc, the margin rose to 26 points.
It was a tough quarter for the Stars who found it difficult to play through the Bloods’ pressure. However they were able to reduce the margin to 14 points after kicking two consecutive goals.
As it appeared the tide of the game was turning towards the Stars favour, the Bloods steadied and thanks to Hughes’s dribbled effort the home side held a 19-point lead at half time.
Travis Hodgson’s half time speech uplifted Fitzroy who began the second half with a strong pack mark to captain Djaran Whyman, who converted his attempt at goal.
The high intensity of the Stars was beginning to pay dividends when Damian Walker kicked the Stars second goal in the opening five minutes.
Lalor squandered a chance to hit the scoresheet when two of their players failed to control the ball in the goal square, missing the opportunity for a blatant goal. The Bloods were soon made to pay for their error when the margin was cut to just five points after Jake McCauley kicked truly from the goal square.
But as they did all day, the Bloods composed and maintained a healthy lead, heading into the end of the quarter.
Trailing by 22 points at the start of the final term, the Stars knew they had to start strongly if they had any chance of victory.
The Stars again started strongly and reduced the margin to seven points. Suddenly it appeared the Bloods would be overrun by the fast finishing Stars.
The Stars kicked four of the opening five goals in the quarter, levelling the scores half way through the final term. The pressure by the Stars disrupted the Bloods free-flowing football and also led to many unforced errors.
The game seemed to dwindle away from Lalor until Jason Kelly produced a miraculous mark running back with the flight of the ball into a pack of players. Unfortunately for Kelly and the Bloods he was only able to kick a behind.
With the game hanging in the balance and only a matter of minutes remaining, both teams were searching for a player to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Enter Ben Curtiss.
Curtiss was phenomenal in the final quarter with his long booming kicks from midfield helping the Bloods move the ball into the forward line. His foot also proved valuable when he kicked a goal from 40 metres to seal the game for Lalor.
Bloods coach Steven Marshall labelled the victory a “great win” and praised his sides understanding of its game plan.
Marshall also commended the Bloods new recruits for the way they fitted into the team and was elated by the performances of Jason Dowell, Jarrod King and Scott Dowell.
Final score: Lalor 15.15 (105) def Fitzroy Stars 14.13 (97)
