Port Melbourne kept their flawless season in tact in a match that became a battle of the key forwards, overcoming Werribee Tigers by 19 points at TEAC Stadium on Saturday, as Samantha Landy reports.
Dean Galea’s stellar four-goal second quarter and Patrick Rose’s inspired three-goal final term for the Boroughs were pitted against Ben McKinley’s superb six-goal haul for the Tigers – four in the third term - to create an exciting contest of shifting momentum.
Eighth-placed Werribee exceeded expectations by soundly challenging the undefeated Port Melbourne, who only really looked in control when kicking into the wind in the second and fourth terms. The Tigers totally controlled the premiership quarter, at one stage hitting the front, but the Borough fought back to claim their eighth straight win.
Port Melbourne coach Gary Ayres acknowledged the importance of the victory, stating that “winning ugly” is always a good “reality check” for the players.
“I thought we were very good in the last quarter. When we made the right plays and the right decisions, executed them quickly and got it into our forward line, and Patty Rose had a superb second half, it showed on the scoreboard,” he said.
Ayres praised Galea and Rose for bringing “class” when it counted in the match, but admitted he would have preferred more sustained efforts from his leading forwards.
“One had his game on after half time; the other had his on after quarter time,” he said. “But you’ve gotta have that class, and I thought we got that in the last quarter.”
But the coach does not overrate this two-pronged attack, taking more pride today in his side’s spread of eight goal kickers.
“Our effort to have 10, 11, 12 goal scorers puts a lot more pressure back on the opposition,” Ayres said. “They can go to Galea or they can go to Rose, and if they’re laying off and making it two on one then we’re gonna have someone free. Our midfielders can kick goals.”
Ayres conceded his side “looked really flat” in the first and third quarters and recognised Port’s mandatory week off as contributing to this.
“I’ve always looked at [the bye] as not a positive. It might help you down the track...[but] I thought our players who are normally sharp and slick and skilful certainly took a while to get into it.”
The effects of the bye were not apparent at the start of the match, with Port Melbourne slotting the first three goals. However the Tigers responded with two majors in as many minutes to youngster Tom Ruggles and McKinley and a miraculous soccer goal to Bradley Mangan right before the siren to draw level with the Boroughs at quarter time.
The first quarter was a fairly even contest, with both teams moving the ball fluidly through the midfield and playing strong defensive games.
Ayres predicted in the quarter time huddle that “every [Port] player can improve in the next 30 minutes”, and he was not proven wrong.
The ladder leaders piled on six goals to two in the second term to advance to a 23-point lead, fronted by Galea who showed remarkable prowess at marking overhead for his height and booted four majors. Adam Bentick and Cory McGrath started to dominate in the midfield while Sam Pleming upped his game in defence.
But Werribee came out firing after the major break, reducing the Boroughs lead to three points and turning the match into a “real winnable game” according to coach Paul Slattery.
McKinley dislodged Galea as the match’s prominent forward, slotting four goals to bring his total to a game high six. Sam Wormald had a blistering third term, making an impact all over the ground. He was assisted in the midfield by his captain Dom Gleeson and ex-Hawk Travis Tuck, while Robbie Tarrant was solid in defence and Ben Ross started to make an impact at half forward.
But Port showed their premiership credentials by lifting in the final term to post a 19-point win over a brave Werribee. Rose was incredible, booting three goals to add to his two from the previous quarter, one of which resulted from a mercurial pick-up and around-the-body kick.
Despite being eight-zip and sitting comfortably on top of the ladder, Ayres admitted there is room for improvement in his Boroughs outfit, a key area being the side’s ability to string together a four-quarter performance after patchy matches against Werribee and Bendigo.
“If we do string together [an] entire game it’s gonna be pretty damaging for the opposition,” he said.
To think Port Melbourne can only get better has got to be an ominous prospect for the rest of the competition.
Port Melbourne 17.9.111 def. Werribee 13.14.92
Last Modified on 07/06/2011 08:23