BARWON SC confirmed its champion pedigree against Surf Coast in Round 5 action on Sunday, despite putting in a less than impressive defensive effort to run out 6-4 winners and return to the top of the Men’s Division One ladder.

Adam Leather started the ball rolling as early as the 2^nd minute in the clash at Grovedale Reserve, before going on to score another goal later in the game. Sean Mahon also snared a brace for Barwon, while Ian Nichols and Nathan Drazinic bagged singles apiece.

For the visitors, their four goals were all scored by four individual goalscorers Zac Carter, Zac Craigen, Jay Christou and Sam Valdivieso.

“We were less than impressive defensively, with all their goals coming from our own mistakes,” Barwon coach Dale Harris said immediately after the game.

“Our attack did very well and created heaps of chances but as a team there was just something missing.

“When you play average and still score six goals in a 6-4 game then you take the win, even though it wasn't a great performance but three points is three points at the end of the day,” added Harris.

His counterpart from Surf Coast, Duncan Gow, was disappointed with the outcome, but not the manner in which the battle was fought.

“It would be fair to say that the score didn’t truly reflect the game. We had the majority of the ball in the second half but they smartly took their chances and in the first half they got two penalties, although we managed to save one,” said Gow.

On Friday night, Barwon Heads defeated FC Leopold at Village Park with the only goal of the game scored by Dave Courden on the half hour mark of the first half.

At Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus, meanwhile, Deakin Ducks stunned the visiting Surfside Waves to win 4-1 with Ipyana Killimbie netting the game’s opener in the 26^th minute, Nick Musarra bagging a double in the 47^th and 58^th minutes before Surfside’s Jack Peddler pulled one back in the 87^th minute. Anjelo Ojwiya provided the icing on the cake with Deakin’s fourth just two minutes later

Breakwater Eagles defeated Geelong Rangers 3-0 on Sunday with the goalscorers for the Eagles being Chris Appleford, Brandon Duthie and Cailen Lee, while across town at Howard Glover Reserve, Drysdale SC and Lara United played out a scoreless draw.

Following the completion of Round 5, the win over Surf Coast takes Barwon two points clear of second placed Breakwater Eagles at the top of the ladder. Surfside Waves slip to third spot, while Lara United is proving to be the early surprise packet of the competition so far. Promoted from last season’s Division Two, Hayden Coombes’ team currently finds itself in 4^th spot on the ladder with just under a third of the season having been completed.