By Kieran Jones
A strong final quarter showing by the Box Hill Hawks saw them register their third win of the season at Casey Fields on Sunday.
In a scrappy match, the Hawks were able to overrun the young Casey Scorpions outfit, kicking six goals to two in the fourth term, capitalising on turnovers by the home side.
The midfield dominance of Box Hill was the deciding factor in the second half, with co-captain Steve Kenna opening up the game with run and carry, as well as Josh Kennedy's strong presence around the ground.
The Scorpions, though, rued missed opportunities early in the game, failing to convert their dominance of inside 50's, as Danny Hughes provided a strong target yet could not to kick accurately.
The Scorpions opened up a handy 17 point lead midway through the second quarter, thanks to goals by Michael Newton and Neville Jetta, who looked lively in the first half. However, consecutive goals to Box Hill through Ben Smithwick and Jordan Lisle brought the margin back to three points at the major break.
Box Hill was the better of the two sides after half time, as Luke Breust and Beau Muston racked up possessions early in the quarter. However, skill errors by both sides and crowded stoppages resulted in a 15 minute goal drought, until Tom McNamara goaled for Casey, giving them a 9 point buffer at three quarter time.
The final term was dominated by the Hawks though, and four unanswered goals saw Box Hill's lead extend to 15 points. Although James Wall and Alex Silvagni tried hard for Casey, a Breust goal 29 minutes into the quarter put the game beyond doubt.
Casey battled all day through the likes of Daniel Bell, but the power of Sam Iles and Brent Renouf for the Hawks, and a more even contribution from the Box Hill midfield, proved too much for Casey.
Box Hill face Frankston next week, whilst the Scorpions head to Eastern Oval to take on North Ballarat in a must win game if they want to stay in touch with the top 8.
Casey Scorpions 3.5 6.8 8.11 10.14 (74)
| Box Hill Hawks 3.1 6.5 7.8 13.11 (89)
GOALS:Casey Scorpions: McNamara 2 Newton 2 Mohr 2 JETTA Stockdale Hughes Bell
Box Hill Hawks: Gibson 4 Breust 3 Lisle 2 Neil Iles Kennedy Smithwick
BEST:Casey Scorpions: Bell Stockdale Silvagni Mohr Hughes McNamara
Box Hill Hawks: Gibson Renouf Schoenmakers Kenna Breust Iles
REPORTED PLAYERS:Casey Scorpions: Nil
Box Hill Hawks: Nil
Last Modified on 18/05/2009 13:49