The Casey Scorpions have done it again. With the home ground advantage, a dominant forward force and an unparalleled sense of determination, the boys from Casey have hosted yet another nail biter. This time they proved victorious over 2011 premiers and ladder leaders Port Melbourne as Bridget Hanson reports.
In perfect conditions, the Scorpions charged home to claim an nine point win over Port. To the dismay of a committed turn out of Port supporters that had made the trek to Casey Fields, Casey evolved into an unbeatable side by the conclusion of this thriller.
As the first siren sounded for this battle between the front runners of the competition (Port Melbourne 1st on the ladder, and Casey 2nd), expectations of all those involved were high to say the least. Yet, it was the Boroughs who made the first move. And, move they did; outrunning, outpacing and outscoring a stunned Casey squad in the first term.
As the end of the first quarter grew near, the Scorpions had still not managed a goal and were over 30 points in arrears – bridging the gap only when Melbourne FC veterans Brad Green and Aaron Davey kicked majors.
Such a bleak display of football by Casey was met with an equally dismal score, having kicked 2.3.15 to Port’s 6.137.
This long awaited clash on the back of a major loss for the Casey Scorpions looked as though it too would end in a similar manner to their 78 point, round 14 thrashing by Werribee.
A riveting quarter time huddle from coach Brett Lovett proved the perfect break from Casey’s early demise, evoking an increased sense of confidence and ability across the 23 struggling players.
Swift ball movement and strength in the air by Ricky Petted was the first of many spectacles to follow, as he grabbed an impressive mark to kick-start the second term.
This, tethered by Luke Tynan’s continuation of break-out form and Tom Couch’s distinction in disposals, turned the game in Casey’s favour.
Lucas Cook’s first goal for the day, followed by a fleeting score from Couch meant Casey were back within 10 points.
Whilst it was a promising change of momentum for the home side, the Boroughs answered back - and fast. Boasting clean precision and exceptional placement of the ball, Port further ran away with the score; testing the likes of Tynan and Captain Evan Pannozza in defence.
This tightly contested football just wasn’t going Casey’s way – and by the siren for half time, they were again down by an intimidating margin of 34 points.
It was a position Casey have become familiar with after their recent series of close matches. It was a matter of now or never.
In the third term, Casey were able to kick multiple unanswered goals on the back of a dominant ruck performance by Jack Fitzpatrick (31 hit outs) and Luke Hill – managing to finish the term back within 10 points of a persistent Port.
The wise words of Lovett resonated closely with the home side, as they were reminded to just ‘give it one more quarter’ and continue to apply pressure in all aspects of the game.
Green resumed his accurate stint in the forward line, kicking 6 for the day alongside Couch, who managed 4 majors in alliance with his team high 25 disposals. These two battled Port powerhouse Dean Galea who kicked seven for the game, and brought up his 50th for the season.
An increasingly intricate segment of play did wonders in impressing the Casey home crowd – with Nick Page’s mark on the boundary and following goal highlighting the confidence the Scorpions had gained in this last term, both as individual players and as a team.
It was in the fourth term that Casey gained the lead for the first time in the game, and whilst they continued to trade it backwards and forwards with the Boroughs, the Scorpions managed to hold it last, when it mattered most.
For Casey, the highlights reel will focus largely on the exciting play that was demonstrated in this second half, when Tynan impressed again in assisting men such as Couch and Green in securing important goals in the high scoring encounter. These players made up the bulk of Casey’s best on the day, along with Fitzpatrick who grabbed 1 goal and a defining point at the end of the match.
In collaboration with young guns Tim Smith and Page, the Casey forward line was unbeatable in the air and at scoring opportunities – the final score line reading Casey Scorpions 18.10.118 to Port Melbourne 17.7.109.
It was yet another tight win for Casey to take away this season, and with such efforts, they now join Port with equal points on the top of the ladder.
The tough games continue for the Scorpions, as they face Bendigo Gold this Saturday. Gold, who managed a significant win over the Scorps earlier in the season, will surely be a tough competitor for Casey – with the game featuring as the ABC televised match out of Windy Hill at 1.00pm. Port Melbourne will hope to rebound as they take on Claremont in the Foxtel Cup semi finals.
Photo: Morgan Hancock
Last Modified on 10/07/2012 13:39