After a strong performance against the Calder Cannons, the Dandenong Southern Stingrays were well placed to make it 3 in a row against local rivals the Eastern Ranges last Saturday at Shepley Oval, Dandenong, but a woeful first half meant the Stingrays would eventually go down by 11 points.
In wonderful football conditions with the oval looking a treat, it was the visiting Ranges who stepped out ready to perform. The Ranges were right on top across the mid field and should have been further ahead at the first break but for some dogged Stingrays defence led by Tom Gillies and Steve Gaertner. The Stingrays were struggling to construct any cohesion in the front half and all their scoring shots were snaps and hurried. The score line was 3-3 to the Ranges leading the Stingrays 0-5 by 16 points. The Stingrays had to lift their workrate in the centre of the ground to get back into the contest.
The second quarter was all the Ranges as they finally made more of their forward 50 entries and kicked 5 goals for the term. The Stingrays could only muster a solitary goal through some scrambling play to Andrew Hunter. Eight goals to one at half time had the Stingrays in more trouble than a Werribee duck with plenty of players down and struggling to impact any 1 on 1 contests. Shane Savage was playing a lone hand on the Wing with Gillies and Gaertner on top of their respective opponents across the backline but it was far too much lettuce between the prawns when looking for Stingrays contributors. Coach Graeme Yeats was disappointed with the work rate of his players and made wholesale positional changes to the side at the long break. The Stingrays moved Gaertner and Gus Patti forward, Hunter and Paul Rogasch went back, they thinned out their front half and moved Savage on ball to generate some run and carry through the mid field.
The third quarter ended up an even affair with 4 goals apiece, but could have been better for the Stingrays as 3 times they missed easy set shots from within 20m of goal. Gaertner started to cause match up headaches for the Ranges, Riley Heddles, Ricky Ferraro and Ryan Bastinac started to get the better of their opponents and supported Savage’s efforts. Still the ¾ time deficit of 38 points was almost unreachable. The final term started with the Stingrays peppering the forward 50 and kicked the first 3 goals but two poor efforts allowed the Ranges two easy goals to restore their lead. Full credit to the Stingrays who never tossed in the towel as they kicked the next 4 goals to get within 11 points which would be as close as they could get. Three last term goals to small man Will Petropolous and 2 to Gaertner were part of a 7 goal quarter which left a lot of people wondering what if the Stingrays were on the ball early would the result have been different.
Next Saturday the Stingrays travel to sunny Ballarat to tackle the North Ballarat Rebels who have been in good early season form.
Last Modified on 18/07/2008 12:38