Spirited Aspley won their third straight game with a last quarter blitz of Redland at Graham Road today to move into the NEAFL northern conference top five.
The Hornets, as they have done for each of their victories, played for too much passion for their rivals when the game was in the mix.
In one of the quality games of the season, Aspley trailed the Bombers by five points at the last change, but piled on five goals to nil to win 18.7 (115) to 14.6 (90).
Every more impressive, the home side did not panic when they trailed by 23 points at the first break after being jumped early.
They had no answer to the skilful James Charlesworth early, with the two-time State forward booting three of Redland’s six goals.
A week after being moved onto Austin Lucy to negate his influence after a big first term, Matty Davis did exactly the same again, keeping Charlesworth goalless over the last three quarters.
Aspley also had a big win with Jeff Teale made life a nightmare for the usually prolific Phil Carse, who suffered the same fate as Morningside ace Paul Shelton last week.
Teale did not give Carse a moment’s breathing space and the three-time Bombers club champion eventually moved to half-back to try and run into the game.
With the Bombers’ better players locked down, Aspley’s midfield came into the game with Micah Buchanan and Matt Shir winning plenty of ball and Declan Bevan providing a good marking option up forward.
Buchanan has got better with each game and eventually worked into being one of the best players on the ground.
Aspley were back to within 11 points at the long break and reduced that to five at the final change as their defence made life tough for the Bombers.
Robbie Copeland continued his magnificent form, working overtime on Scott Clouston and Josh Pullman at different times. He marshalled the defence superbly and gave his side enormous rebound.
Clouston kicked two booming goals from outside 50 in the third term and contributed five for the day to grow into one of his side’s best players, while Pullman managed just two against the stingy defence.
Justin Myers had found his best form of the season at half-back in the first half and he gave the Bombers plenty of drive from the middle in the final hour.
The ruck duels were even for most of the day, with the in-form Jason Paxman breaking even with Hornets Dylan Reid and Brendan Page, although the latter took two super strong marks and goalled when moved forward in the third term.
The first 12 minutes of the final term were a real arm wrestle, with both sides unable to capitalise on a number of chances.
Charlesworth missed with a left-foot shot running into an open goal and almost had a good mark right in front, but it was Reid who eventually broke the deadlock for the Hornets to hit the front with a clever snap for a big man.
Tough Aspley onballer Reece Toye had been serviceable through the opening three quarters but was in everything from the opening minute and his drive played a key part in the final term surge.
The ball see-sawed from end to end until Bevan goalled at the 16-minute mark, and then Callum Buchanan made the game safe early in time-on.
Copeland, Teale and Buchanan were outstanding for the Hornets, while Myers, Clouston and Trent Manzone – who played off Jamie Sheahan in a keenly contested one-on-one duel – were the Bombers’ best.
Last Modified on 17/05/2011 08:54