LEONGATHA has come agonisingly close to ending their eight year losing streak to Gippsland League powerhouse Maffra.
Poor kicking at goal saw the home side lose by two points.
The Parrots had eight more scoring shots than their opposition but were unable to convert well enough to secure a victory.
The match ended in bitter disappointment for the huge crowd.
Leongatha’s preparations for the game were thorough, given Maffra’s dominance over them in recent encounters.
And the hard work appeared to be paying off early as the Parrots pressured the normally unflappable Eagles side into mistakes.
The zone defence was working a treat, and the back six were holding up, led by the two most Senior players Rhett McLennan, Paul LePage and Jack Hughes.
Hughes was at his aggressive best, and had his head split when diving under a pack to win the hard ball.
New recruit Jake Griffiths provided the highlight of the match, roving the ball from a marking contest.
He then coolly got the ball to boot with a snap that sailed truly and gave Leongatha a 17 point buffer.
Maffra started to move the ball more confidently in the second half, led by veteran Benjamin Batalha who was linking with his teammates further afield.
Upfield it was Daniel Bedggood giving the Parrots grief. The youngster kicked five goals and was dangerous at every play.
The final term started with the Eagles doing all the attacking, and the home side was forced onto the back foot.
The Eagles hit the front with around 10 minutes remaining, and fears that the game were lost had set in.
A boundary throw-in down Maffra’s end brought them unstuck, as a quick kick headed towards goal and granted the Eagles the six points they needed to take the lead.
The siren sounded shortly after and the Leongatha’s Maffra hoodoo looked set to continue for at least another two months.
Still, the match was a great showing from the players, and improvement looks set to increase.
Next week they take on rivals Wonthaggi on Easter Saturday in what is expected to be a huge clash at Wonthaggi.
Last Modified on 14/10/2011 14:51