by Daniel Paproth, Sunbury Macedon Ranges Weekly
THE game hung in the balance early in the final quarter, but Diggers Rest came away with a crucial 20-point win over injury-riddled Romsey in the Riddell District Football League on Saturday.
The win ensured Diggers Rest, 10-1, held on to its spot in the top two.
With the top four to be hotly contested with finals on the horizon, Romsey, 9-2, slipped to fourth.
The first 10 minutes of the final term were intense. Romsey, having trailed all day, hit the front with two behinds, but despite dominating possession could not kick a major. Diggers Rest’s Tom Gleeson got the first goal to give the Burras back the lead, but the Redbacks levelled the scores minutes later.
The man to break the deadlock was Brent Tuckey. He was Diggers Rest’s main target, finishing with six goals. After receiving a free kick inside 50 midway through the term, he gave the Burras the lead again.
Two more goals put the result beyond doubt
The Redbacks lost Chris Petroro in the dying minutes. He was stretchered off the ground with a knee injury, though the club is confident it will not require a reconstruction. Jackson Mills and Steve Burlak suffered hamstrings injuries and won’t play this weekend, while Blake Henderson will also miss with a groin injury.
Diggers Rest coach Jamie Elliot said his side was “10 to 15 per cent off”.
“We nearly paid the price,” he said. “It’s always good to have a win against Romsey, but I was pretty disappointed with a few areas – they didn’t follow instructions well at all.
“When I put it on the players at three-quarter time ... the boys responded, which was good.”
Romsey had 29 senior or reserve players injured at the weekend.
Coach Mark Pedersen said he was proud of the effort, given the injuries.
“They had a never-say-die attitude and kept putting their head over the ball,” he said.
“We were in an opportunity to win, and we didn’t, so that was disappointing, but it was a good effort against the odds.”
Pedersen said the club would be mindful of its under-18 players, some of whom are playing two games in a day to cover injuries.
Last Modified on 10/07/2013 14:35
