Report by Mitch Brown
On Sunday March 15, the U17 Dandenong Stingrays took part in a practice match against the corresponding Gippsland Power squad.
We saw a ferocious start from the very first minute, with both the Stingrays and the Power demonstrating some very exciting run-and-carry football. The energy of the Dandenong forward line was particularly impressive, with Jake Dipasquale, Reece Piper and Shannon Gladman all causing headaches for the Power defence.
The Stingrays managed to maintain possession of the ball for the majority of the quarter, and opened up some gaping holes around the ground for the midfielders such as Matthew La Fontaine and Malis Lokeron to damage the Power’s structure.
Having gone to the quarter time huddle 25 points down, Gippsland came out firing on all cylinders in the second, slamming two goals in quick succession to put the pressure back onto Dandenong.
A goal to Max Kleverkamp steadied the ship, but Gippsland were simply too good, kicking three more before half-time to bring the margin back to just 2 points.
It was only two minutes into the third quarter when the Power grabbed the lead for the first time of the match, but the Stingrays were able to respond with a Kyle Beveridge goal.
Gippsland and Dandenong continued to trade goals for the remainder of the quarter, making it a one-point ball game at the end of the third term.
There were good signs for the Stingrays to kick off the final quarter – some great one-percenters and smothers set the scene for a tough, hard-fought conclusion to the game.
Both teams possessed a mad desperation as the minutes dwindled by, with Gippsland leading by just a couple of points with three minutes remaining on the clock.
The Stingrays had some half-chances, but in the end were unable to find one more goal, handing the Power a two-point win.
The absolute ferocity of the match was a real highlight for the coaches and audience alike, with several onlookers commenting on the second- and third-efforts of the players.
Last Modified on 17/03/2015 08:52