After a relatively even first half, Ivanhoe ran away with the game against Mernda at Waterview Reserve to win by 73 points, which sees the Hoers maintain a strong grip on top spot of the Heidelberg Golf Club Division 3 ladder.
Despite the Demons tipped to struggle after making eight changes to the line-up that faced Laurimar prior to the bye, they looked the better side early in the contest.
Mernda applied great pressure to their opponents and looked eager to win every contest. A goal to Billy Morrison saw them lead 26-9 and at that juncture, they’d been able to maintain control of the ball, have better numbers at the footy and force the opposition into errors.
Ivanhoe showcased their flair with multiple players able to hit the scoreboard in quick time. They soon had back-to-back goals courtesy of Alex Federico and Charles Robinson.
The Demons attacked for the next few minutes, only to register three behinds. A late goal to Riley Loton from the line after a 50m penalty saw the Hoers close to within two points at quarter time.
Mernda continued playing strongly after the break and extended their lead out to 11 points midway through the quarter. However, the Hoers booted the final four goals of the half to go to the main break leading by 14 points.
The local fans were hoping for a great against-the-odds win. A tight tussle looked likely when Josh Caputo snapped a brilliant goal early in the third term for the Demons.
But the Hoers booted five goals to one for the remainder of the quarter to head into the final break with a match-winning lead of 41 points. During that period, they appeared to have extra energy than Mernda. They even seemed to have more players on the ground due to their efforts in being strong at the contest, moving the ball to the outside and then spreading effectively.
Ivanhoe playing coach Wayne Schultz praised his team at the last break for executing the game plan well after half time and urged them to win the final term.
It was all the Hoers in the final term, kicking five goals while keeping the Demons goalless. What appeared to be a close contest was a blow-out win at the final siren.
“We brought pressure, stuck to it and caused turnovers,” Ivanhoe coach Wayne Schultz said.
“Then we were able to spread which allowed us to win the territory battle.”
Schultz praised the work of skipper Alex Federico, Kane Veliou, Daniel Horsfield and Loton through the middle of the ground. He also gave a special mention to Riley O’Sullivan who played his first senior game for the year after crossing from St Marys. O’Sullivan booted four majors and took a wonderful, contested mark in the final term.
“We were brilliant until half time, then their senior players got the better of us,” Mernda coach Brent Marshall said.
Marshall gave credit to Billy Morrison whose one-grab marking was a delight to watch. He also gave a tick to to Declan Felle in defence. Marshall. also liked the work of small players in Jett Phillips and Josh Caputo, as well as James Sekulovski who previously played most of his footy in the midfield.
The loss for Mernda has dropped them to fifth, with Reservoir and Watsonia a little ahead of them on percentage. But they’ll move up the table next week if they can overcome Kinglake at home with the Mustangs and Saints playing each other.
