A THRILLING comeback will see East Perth progress to the quarter-finals of the Foxtel Cup after winning its first-round clash with triple VFL premiers North Ballarat by two points.
The Roosters led by 16 points with only three minutes remaining, but successive goals to Graham Polak, Adam Prior and Mathew Seal - the last with less than a minute remaining - saw the Royals run out winners 9.9 (63) to North Ballarat’s 9.7 (61).
The result came on the back of tireless work by midfielders Patrick Travers (23 disposals) and Brendan Lee (22 touches), while ex-Hawthorn midfielder Garry Moss was most prolific in front of goal, kicking three majors.
With 20 possessions, Ryan McKenzie was the most dominant Rooster, while Derick Micallef kicked three goals, all in an impressive second term.
The Roosters’ lack of match practice - they are yet to start their season while the Royals have already played two rounds of the WAFL - was obvious in the remarkable turnaround, with Gerard FitzGerald’s side running out of legs at the end of each of the third and fourth quarters. For the rest of the contest, however, the Roosters were in control.
It was a tight opening to the game with scores tied at two goals apiece at quarter time.
The Royals got off to a flying start with lively small forward Freddie Clutterbuck kicking a goal in the first minute of play, but the Roosters were able to peg back East Perth’s early dominance, with a promising forward movement rewarded by a clever dribbled goal from Lachlan George.
In hot and sunny conditions, the match was played with contrasting game styles: East Perth attempting to exploit North Ballarat with its talls - including Fremantle ruckman Zac Clarke and former Richmond and Freo utility Polak - while the Roosters, with only seven players from the premiership team of 2010, using their run to break the lines.
It was the free-flowing plan of North Ballarat that was coming out on top early.
North Ballarat stamped its authority in the second term, kicking four goals to two for the quarter and going into half time with a 12-point lead.
Myles Sewell, brother of Hawthorn premiership player Brad, was dominant with an equal game-high 10 possessions for the half, while Micallef was lively in attack.
Moss’ two classy goals late in the term kept the Royals in the contest, but they were clearly getting outplayed. East Perth led the possessions tally marginally, but were winning the ball in areas where it didn’t matter, evidenced by only 10 inside 50s compared to the Roosters’ 17.
After being held goalless for the first 12 minutes of the third quarter, the momentum of the game changed as the Royals kicked two quick goals to bring the deficit back to five points at the last change.
For the Roosters, the fourth term was disappointingly similar, as they jumped out to a bigger break before it being reeled in and overrun. They had one last chance to win with a long kick sent into the forward line with 30 seconds remaining but were unable to grasp a mark.
The Royals will meet last week’s winners, NT Thunder, in the second round of the Foxtel Cup.
East Perth 2.2 4.3 6.6 9.9 (63)
North Ballarat 2.2 6.3 7.5 9.7 (61)
GOALS
East Perth: Moss 3, Seal, Polak 2, Clutterbuck, Prior
North Ballarat: Micallef 3, George 2, Linke, McKenzie, Stephenson, Walker
BEST
East Perth: Travers, Clarke, Lee, Sweet, Seal, Moss
North Ballarat: Sewell, Stephenson, Struth, Micallef
** courtesy afl.com.au **
Last Modified on 02/04/2011 20:29