MONTMORENCY produced an upset victory over third-placed Bundoora, romping to a 50-point triumph at Yulong Reserve in Round 9.
Trailing by two points at half time, the Magpies conceded just one goal in the second half and booted ten goals of their own to run away with a 16.5 (101) to 6.15 (51) win.
Sitting in seventh position prior to the match, the Magpies were in desperate need of a win to remain in the finals race, and they produced just that – shooting to fifth place on the ladder halfway through the split-round.
Leading the way for Montmorency in its fourth win for the season was Ben Walton, whose marking down in defence was outstanding.
He was well supported by a four-goal haul from Luke Collins and a dominant midfield display from Ben Fennell.
Luke Simpson was Bundoora’s best on a disappointing day, supported by David Mitchell and Matthew Dennis.
Montmorency got off to a flying start, kicking the first three goals of the match inside the first ten minutes through Marcus Smith, Ben Walton and Collins, to open up an early 17-point buffer.
Dennis kicked Bundoora’s first at the 29-minute mark, but there was still enough time for the Magpies to add another goal right on the siren, with Collins slotting a major from the 50m line.
Leading by 16 points at quarter time, the Magpies continued their momentum early in the second quarter, with key forward Patrick Fitzgerald kicking his first goal within the opening two minutes to stretch his side’s advantage to 22 points.
Bundoora captain Brent Marshall found a quick reply with a running goal that shifted the momentum the Bulls’ way.
Follow-up goals to Mitchell and Gary Moorcroft soon saw the margin cut down to just three points, with the home side playing with great confidence.
Collins stopped the momentum briefly, completing a great coast-to-coast play with his third goal to stem the flow for the Magpies.
However, Bundoora quickly regained control of the game again, but was left to rue inaccuracy in front of the big sticks.
The Bulls booted five consecutive behinds before finally converting another major, which came from Luke Simpson, who slotted an incredible set shot against the boundary line to see his side take a two-point buffer into half time.
Collins got the ball rolling in the second half for Montmorency, putting through a running goal from beyond the arc to give the visitors the lead. Fitzgerald soon followed suit with his own major and then the floodgates opened.
The Magpies went on to kick the next six goals as they booted eight unanswered goals for the third term to lead by an unassailable 45 points at three-quarter time.
The fourth quarter started positively for Bundoora after a rev-up from coach Phil Plunkett, as Mitchell kicked the opening goal within two minutes.
However, that would be the Bulls’ final goal, as Montmorency held the home side at bay for the remainder of the quarter, before icing its victory with two late goals.
Both teams will have a week off before heading on the road in Round 10. Bundoora makes the trek to Whittlesea, while Montmorency takes on West Preston-Lakeside in an important match for both sides’ finals chances.
Final score: Bundoora 6.15 (51) def by Montmorency 16.5 (101)
Photo by Nathan McNeil
