LEITCHVILLE/GUNBOWER recorded its third consecutive 100-plus point Heathcote District Football Netball League win at the weekend, disposing of Mount Pleasant by 122 points at Toolleen.
Similarities with the previous week’s performance against White Hills ran deep with the match having a Groundhog Day feel about it.
Like seven days earlier at Leitchville, the Bombers were in control early, were not accurate in front of goal, had 12 goalkickers and kicked the only nine goals of the final term.
Again from the outset, last season’s grand finalists looked the better side with Adam Deciccio (two goals) kicking a major only 15 seconds from the first ball up of the day.
The lightly built forward had been delivered the ball quickly from a Tom German kick after a decisive tap from Cam Ross whose dominance of the ruck contests continued through out the quarter, affording the Bomber on-ballers plenty of first use.
Bart Walsh and German were as they had been the previous week – prominent in the early going relishing Ross’s direct tapwork .
Ayden Walton’s renaissance in the key forward post continued with another team orientated performance that provided plenty of opportunity for his fellow forwards as well as yielding five goals.
Walton’s two goals late in the first term snuffed out the mini-comeback the home side produced midway through the tem, cutting the deficit to nine points – which would be the closest the club would get to hitting the front for the remainder of the afternoon.
Defensive lapses let the home side back in with a sniff, something coach Matt Hawken was quick to address in a forthright manner with his backmen at quarter time.
From that point it was all about the Bombers and their, at times, frustrating attempts to kick goals.
From countless entries into their attacking 50, the visitors managed 3.10 for the term with many of the misses the result of shots from low percentage angles.
At least the backline tightened up with Jackson McEwen continuing his fine start to the season and Ryan Prendergast and Steve Pretty typically solid.
Second halves have been the Bombers’ specialty of late and so it was again with Tim Lincoln putting on a clinic on the outer wing in the third term, linking the back and forward lines with relentless drift running.
Walton displayed a preference for kicking goals at the northern end with three majors and with Matt Perri rediscovering his accuracy, the Bombers scored more goals (five) than behinds (four) for the term.
The last quarter was an absolute Groundhog Day of the week before as the Bombers piled on nine unanswered goals against a hapless Blues side who failed to trouble the scorers.
Ladder leaders Huntly visit Leitchville on Saturday in what Hawken believes will be a real test for his side after three weeks of playing opponents who have slipped as threats since last season.
“We will need to make the most of our opportunities,” he said.
“Our kicking for goal has been very wasteful for the amount of times we have gone forward. We can’t afford that against the top sides and Huntly are obviously travelling pretty well.”
