The big game between rivals Frankston and Casey Scorpions at Frankston Oval looked to be a close one. After the two teams were only separated by one point last time they met earlier in the season, Casey showed the difference in the two teams progress to run away with a 36 point win as Dale Fenney and Anthony Stanguts report.
The first quarter started with a quick goal for Anthony Simpson putting the first on the board for Frankston. Casey replied with a quick goal to Leigh Williams, and they followed it up the next two goals via Lucas Cook and Tom Couch who came back in the team this week after a two week stint in the AFL for Melbourne. Frankston kept themselves in the contest getting 3 quick goals to finish the quarter, with Simpson kicking his second, and Shaun Marusic and Luke Clark getting one each. Quarter time siren went and Frankston went in with a two point lead.
Ricky Petterd got the second quarter away with a goal to Casey in the opening minute. It took ten minutes for the next goal to come which belonged to Casey’s Cale Morton. When Couch got his second goal for Casey, the visitors had kicked the first three of the term and raced out to a 19 point lead. Frankston were struggling to find forward options in the second quarter, but finally got their first goal when Toby Thoolen kicked his first at the 22 minute mark. Half time came and Casey took a 13 point lead into the second half.
Casey broke away in the third term, again kicking the first three goals of the quarter. Goals to Rian McGough, Tim Smith and Jack Fitzpatrick set the Scorpions up with a 31 point lead, their biggest lead of the game. Frankston were trying to keep the game alive with captain Luke Potts kicking their first goal of the third term, but the home sides inability to kick consecutive goals was hampering their chances of further denting Casey’s lead. Casey kicked further ahead with another two goals to end the term to Jordan Gysberts and Nathan Page to give them a 37 point lead at three quarter time.
Williams opened the last quarter with his second goal and taking the lead out to 40 odd points for Casey, and it was not the start to the final term the home side wanted. Simpson was a shining light down forward for Frankston kicking his third goal trying to give his side some chance. Thoolen gave Frankston consecutive goals for the first time since late in the opening quarter and reduced the margin to 31 points.
It was as close as Frankston were able to get in the final term, as Casey kicked two goals in two minutes to Gysberts and Luke Thompson to ensure a home side comeback was out of the question.
Despite a few late Dolphin goals, Casey walked away with the win, defeating the home side by 36 points.
Casey Scorpions coach Brett Lovett was pleased to get the win, especially after the bye the previous week.
“The overall performance over the 4 quarters ... we lacked intensity in the first quarter, but then on we picked it up a bit.
“Probably all day our ball use, particularly by hand throughout the day, probably cost us the ability to hit the scoreboard harder.”
Asked who his best from the contest were, Lovett was pleased with the work of some of the younger players.
“I thought Luke Tynan across the half backline. Luke Tapscott through the middle of the ground. Jordan Gysberts as well played in the midfield. So I thought those 3 guys were our best.
Whilst the Scorpions jumped back to outright top spot at the end of the round with Port Melbourne’s defeat to Williamstown, Lovett said they had not yet cemented their top two spot.
“I’m not sure whether a top 2 spot is secured yet, we have got a couple of more games to go. We will just see how we go with it.”
Frankston coach Simon Goosey believed turnovers were costly for his side against the Scorpions.
“I thought we would give ourselves a chance but the turnovers were really costly. The turnovers at the end of the day, they’re like 12 point turnarounds where we have the play and turnover the ball and it goes back the other way and really hurts us. The end result was 36 points, I could probably pick out 4 or 5 of those things happening, the 12 point turnarounds.”
With another game down Casey sits on top of the ladder by a game. Frankston currently on bottom of the ladder will be hoping to regain form against Sandringham at Trevor Barker Beach Oval at 2:00pm. Casey Scorpions play Northern Blues at home at 2:00pm. With four games left the top 8 is heating up.
Photo: Morgan Hancock
Last Modified on 31/07/2012 07:58