In ideal football conditions at Morwell, Gippsland Power literally threw away an opportunity to remain undefeated and go well clear on top of the TAC Cup ladder with a disappointing loss to the Dandenong Stingrays. The Stingrays went into the match without several key players due to school commitments and were definitely the underdogs in the clash of the competitions top two sides.
Up until half way through the second term the bookies had no reason to adjust their initial assessment and the Power were in total control leading by 10 goals and seemingly coasting to a comprehensive victory. From that point on it was the Stingrays who seized the initiative and they outscored the Power by 14 goals to 3 to snatch a morale-boosting victory from the most unlikely scenario possible.
The match opened with neither side able to put their stamp on the game. Tight, scrappy ineffective footy was the order of the day and the large crowd was waiting for the "good stuff" to happen. It was the Power who obliged and they began to shake free and set up team oriented goals to forge a 24 point lead by the first break.
Things looked ominous fro the Stingrays early and they responded with their first for the game against the run of play. This stung the Power into a more positive style of play Jay Neagle was the focus of much of the goal scoring and he was being well served by players like Steven O'Bryan who consistently put the ball to his advantage. Mid way through the term the Power led by 9 goals and for some reason stopped being quick, long and direct and allowed the Stingrays to slowly but surely chip away at the deficit. They appeared complacent and were content to be second to the ball and the Stingrays consistently punished them on the scoreboard. By the long break they led by 27 points but it was in no way a convincing lead.
The third term opened with the Power seemingly more purposeful but didn't convert this where it mattered most, on the scoreboard. They went back into their shells and began to play indirect and often ineffective football. They were well and truly "under the pump" with the Stingrays back in control and ready to serve it up to the Power. The Powers lead at the last change was 8 points and the character of the boys on both sides was under the microscope.
Early in the last term the Power seemed as if they were ready to pay the price of victory and scored telling goals only to let the Stingrays keep the pressure on with relatively "soft" replies on the rebound. The game was up for grabs and it appeared that the Power was going to hang on against a dogged and determined Stingrays side. However, when it mattered most the Power came up short and the Stingrays hit the front in the dying minutes of the term and won a fantastic victory.
Final scores, Dandenong Stingrays 15 goals 6 behinds 96 points defeated Gippsland Power 13 goals 12 behinds 90 points. Goal kickers were Jay Neagle 6, Ben Fraser and Dale Thomas 2, Bret Dore, Nathan Lieshout and Chris Dunne 1. The more consistent contributors were Steven O'Bryan, Dale Thomas, Trent West, Jay Neagle, Tom Dowd and Zac Vansittart.
It's hard to assess the Power's performance. They played brilliant team football at times but were unable or unwilling or unable to do so for long enough to keep the Stingrays out of the contest. The Power certainly did let their vice-like grip on the game go but to think that they threw the game away is too simplistic. The Stingrays were magnificent under extreme pressure and never gave up despite being blitzed early. They made the Power doubt themselves and once the seed was sewn kept the pressure on until they cracked. Irregardless of the reason for the loss, the Power boys will learn a lot from this game as they continue on their 2005 TAC Cup learning curve. Paul will ensure that they are aware of the issues that affected their performance and they will be ready for the challenges of the rest of the season as a consequence.
The Power travels to Brisbane next weekend to take on the Queensland under 18 state side at Cooporoo. This is a unique challenge for the boys and will give them a chance to dispel the self doubts raised by the Stingrays. If they can regain the positive approach so evident early in the game they will really test the Queenslanders and Paul will leave no stone unturned this week to make it happen.
Last Modified on 21/05/2008 17:31