TOP spot on the Heathcote District Football Netball League ladder still eludes Leitchville/Gunbower, despite Saturday’s 125-point win against near neighbours, Lockington Bamawm United.
The Bombers trail competition leaders, Huntly by a measly 0.11 per cent and with both sides playing the same opponents during the next couple of weeks, the countdown is on until July 16 when the Bombers venture to Huntly.
Not many at Gunbower on Saturday expected anything but a convincing home win and when the Bombers rattled on three goals in the first four minutes, a monster score appeared on the cards, particularly as the Cats appeared as immobile as witches hats and hard pressed to get their hands on the ball.
Bomber coach, Matt Hawken had called for creativity and ruthlessness pre-game and while Leitchville/Gunbower had plenty of the ball, the creativity concept appeared to be one that involved using as many possessions as possible to get the ball into a scoring position.
The Cats settled thanks to a goal to Zeik Johnston and implementing a soccer/basketball short passing game in the middle of the ground, began to deny the Bombers access to the ball, resulting in the goals drying up for the home side.
Johnston’s set shot miss at the 18-minute mark could have brought the Cats back to only a goal down after 15 minutes of committed adherence to a game plan that the Bombers struggled to break down.
The near miss sparked the Bombers into action with Adam Decicco getting on the board and Tim Lincoln producing a remarkable four-goal burst in the final five minutes of the term that gave the hosts a 42-point quarter time lead.
LBU continued the high use/sideways chip/kick backwards plan in the second quarter, slowing the Bombers’ scoring as the home side again succumbed to the tactics from the Cats.
Matt Perri, almost unsighted in the first term, was one Bomber determined to break the lethargic game open and proved a tough match-up for the Cats with three second term goals, whilst Daniel Couwenberg’s third goal the only other major for the term to advance their half-time lead to 66 points.
Lincoln and Perri both added to their goal tallies in the third term as the Bombers displayed a more direct and purposeful style.
Daniel Coates had been prominent throughout the day and his intensity at the ball was a standout – two goals for the term was reward for his attack, while Tom German, Riley Keath and Drew Bartram joined the goal scorers putting the Bombers more than 100 points in front.
The weather and grounds have lately been reminiscent of the 1980s and a melee shortly before three-quarter time certainly evoked memories of previous physical clashes from Northern and Echuca League days.
The Bombers had Jason Dal Santo yellow carded and Hoby Bussey injured in the fracas, which also saw several Cats spend some time recuperating on the sidelines.
Whether it was the disruption of the melee or simply that the game was a foregone conclusion, the last term – save for the efforts of Coates and a screamer from Jack Dye – became an interminable wait for the final siren.
The Bombers’ old inaccuracy returned and what could have been a margin that saw top spot secured was curtailed by the addition of nine behinds.
Hawken was duly disappointed with his team’s finish, as well as the second term when his side imitated the Cats plodding play.
“We fell into the trap of over possessing which is what LBU were doing – when we got it instead of going long and direct to one on ones we chipped around far too much,” he said
Hawken was pleased however with the debut of teenager Ollie O’Shea and the performance of Jye Keath, who is rediscovering some old form after an extended layoff.
