THERE are many reasons to love a rainy Saturday afternoon of local football.
Supporters can watch from the comfort of their car, rugged up in scarfs and nursing a thermos of piping hot coffee.
The rain adds another dimension to the game. It makes goals worth gold, talls not as damaging and, most importantly, it gives any team placed anywhere on the ladder a rare chance for an upset.
An upset was exactly what the home side, Lalor, was looking for.
The Bloods, yet to notch up a win this season, faced a hungry Diamond Creek side hoping to extend its good form in the 2012, and atone for a close loss in last week’s top of the table clash with Epping.
The forecast was bleak, but as fortune would have it for the underdogs, the slippery conditions and greasy ball meant it could be anyone’s game.
The first quarter was a scrappy affair from both sides, wherein clean possession and disposal went out the window and the game was played in traditional crash and bash style.
Lalor’s outfit came out of the blocks with a bit more fire kicking the first two goals of the match.
It used the ball well and kicked long, giving plenty of service to the forwards. The ball was won on ground level and whilst Diamond Creek had the superior midfield, Lalor dominated the clearances and its players put their heads over the ball.
Peter Shepherd for Lalor proved handy when he turned his Diamond Creek opponent inside out to score. Contrastingly, Creek was slow to adapt to the weather and squandered set shots.
As the heavy rain turned into a light drizzle the boys of Diamond Creek found their feet.
Lalor struck with two early goals in the second with a superb snap from Matty Micallef the highlight, but from there on in it was all Diamond Creek.
The intensity in the guts lifted from Creek’s ruckman Rikki Stephens, on baller come forward, Jai Norman, and the ever so dangerous Brent Gutterson.
Creek used the ball effectively inside forward 50m and linked up well when rebounding from defence. Lalor’s leg speed around stoppages kept them in with a chance at half time.
During the main break, the heavens opened up and those supporters eager to hunt down the wafting smell of hot chips, stayed within the safety of their warm sheltered cars.
As both of the sides ran out onto the field after the half time address, wipers beat furiously trying to get a small glimpse of what may be going on.
In the premiership quarter, Diamond Creek put on a show worthy of the finals stage.
When the Demons squeezed out the ball to the forward 50m and James Gerbert converted, the onslaught began.
Creek hunted in packs, carrying the ball well and spreading effectively around the ground.
Gerbert had another two for the quarter with Joel Burell sprinting forward to dribble one through making it a seven-goal haul from Creek.
Lalor fought tooth and nail, trying to remain in contention. When Shepherd grabbed a good contested mark and slotted it through, Lalor rallied to pull back the deficit and added another three goals through Jarrod Parry and Reece Cowman.
The home side got a sniff early in the last quarter when Shepherd twisted around in a two-on-one situation, with a vacant goal square and, much to the delight of the local fans, scored a magnificent check side goal.
A late comeback was staged. Shannon Smith slotted one from a free kick and the crowd was up and about.
Lalor’s Steven Goodwin converted and it was somewhat of an inspiration for the underdogs.
The Bloods’ backline had stopped the bleeding and they were in with a chance. The midfield battle was fierce with both sides going in hard.
But it wasn’t to be for Lalor.
Diamond Creek utility Jai Norman proved the hero in the end, dousing Lalor’s fire with a game-winning goal.
Final score: Lalor 11.9.75 def by Diamond Creek 13.12.90
