PORT Melbourne trounced a hapless Frankston by 122 points at TEAC Stadium on Saturday, but their real test will come this week when they face fellow ladder leaders Williamstown, as Sam Landy reports.
Boroughs coach Gary Ayres said there was “room for improvement” leading into next round’s top of the table clash with the also the undefeated Seagulls, despite his side having had the better of the Dolphins for most of the game.
“They outworked us for 25 minutes of that third quarter,” he said. “It just shows any team can make you look a little substandard.”
“You know you’ve got opposition like Williamstown and Bendigo coming up, so our so-called best being on display for three out of the four quarters, that’s not gonna win the games we want. That’s not enough to make the finals and subsequently go from there.”
Ayres cited the Borough’s “general finish”, four-quarter intensity and “certain subtle ways we move the ball”, in particular their kick-to-handball ratio, as areas to work on for next week’s contest.
The home side raced away to a 34-point lead in the first quarter, slotting six goals on the run after Frankston drew first blood through Warwick Miller in the opening minute of the match. The sides’ conflicting game styles were evident early in the contest, with the Dolphins playing out wide and Port Melbourne controlling the corridor. Both teams heavily flooded in defence, a play which caused problems for Frankston’s goal kickers who regularly found themselves outnumbered in three-on-one and even four-on-one contests.
Dolphins’ coach Simon Goosey’s pleaded with his side to make amends for an “embarrassing” first term at the quarter time huddle, but this fell on deaf ears as Port Melbourne extended their lead to 84 points at the major break.
The Boroughs, led by enigmatic forwards Patrick Rose, Dean Galea and AFL-recruit Wayde Skipper, booted nine goals in the term to extend their total to 15 on the trot. The Frankston defence couldn’t contain Port’s forwards, despite valiant efforts from Matthew Clark and Gavin Marusic. Rose finished with seven goals, Galea with five and Skipper and Chris Cain with three apiece. The underdog’s only joy for the quarter came when Corey Buchan intercepted an awry Boroughs kick and goaled after the siren.
Frankston improved in the third quarter, kicking the first three of the term, slightly cutting the home side’s lead to 74 points. Christopher Doria and Luke Clarke battled away up forward while first year players Daniel Uzarevic and Emilio Bitters showed good signs.
Port Melbourne appeared to have taken their foot off the peddle for much of the term. This had Ayres fuming at the final break: “We were nearly 100 points in front and you start to say, I’ve just about done enough,” he said to his players. He told them they had “30 minutes to redeem [themselves]” for being complacent.
The Boroughs did not disappoint their coach, smashing the opposition in all facets of play as they had done in the first half. They slotted eight goals to Frankston’s one, including four goals in as many minutes, to run out 122-point winners victors.
The home side were boosted throughout the match by the heroics of best-on-ground Adam Bentick, Shane Valenti and Nathan Batsanis. Frankston onballers struggled to keep pace with the three midfielders, regulars on the Boroughs’ best player lists, who easily outmuscled the baby Dolphins, a factor which made all the difference in the end.
Port Melbourne has regained top spot on the ladder with the percentage-boosting win. But their true test will be keeping it after tough matches against second and third placed Williamstown and Bendigo in the coming weeks.
Last Modified on 10/05/2011 14:45