LEITCHVILLE/GUNBOWER gatecrashed Lockington Bamawm United’s 100-year celebration on Sunday with a thumping 125-point win against the winless Cats.
Lockington Bamawm United may have been hosting the party, it was the Cats’ Heathcote District Football Netball League rivals who provided the champagne with a sparkling eight-goal opening term that continued the form from the previous week’s final term.
Managing only two behinds against the Bomber onslaught, the Cats trailed by 50 points at the first change and it appeared a major thrashing was at hand.
At quarter time Bombers coach, Matt Hawken was impressed with his team’s teamwork and use of the first option available.
“We really came out firing and played the sort of football that will be required to beat the top side,” he said.
“Everyone contributed and out teamwork was terrific and the result was shown on the scoreboard.”
Indeed the run and carry of the Bombers left the Cats floundering and with Matt Perri (three goals) and Jack Dye (two goals) enjoying regular supply from a dominant midfield led by Matt Pollock, Daniel Couwenberg and Matt Ladson.
Lee Pollock won the battle in the ruck and again gave the visitors’ smaller brigade first us of the ball on many occasions.
Down back, Dan Meroli patrolled the lines with his usual simplistic efficiency and Adam Deccicio turned in a typically elusive player that had opponents grasping at thin air.
Although not as attractive as their first term, Leitchville/Gunbower continued to build a lead that by half time stood at 79 points – Dye, with two more goals, taking the lead in the goal scoring from Perri who again had a “rostered quarter off”.
Injuries restricted the Bombers rotations in the second half with both Lachie Duncan (knee) and Daniel Coates (concussion) unavailable and with the Cats finding a bit extra in front of a large but generally subdued crowd, the visitors only extended their lead by 13 points at the last change.
Perri had managed a goal in the third term but as he so often does, dominated the last with four more goals, as well as a couple of misses that along with a remarkably short final term cruelled his chances of another double-figure haul.
The vagaries of timekeeping saw the last term only go for just a tick over 25 minutes, despite 1 goals kicked for the quarter – the most for the day .
Coincidentally, the abrupt finish gave the home side plenty of time to take an on-field photo of the large crowd in attendance, but the party atmosphere had definitely been deflated by the games result.
