The Dandenong Southern Stingrays cemented their top 4 position with a comfortable 68 point win over the Calder Cannons in what was a scrappy and skill ridden game at Shepley Oval, Dandenong.
With both teams well short of their A-grade line up due to state representative and school football, the game started at a high intensity but was marred by a lot of over possessing and therefore skill errors. It was the Stingrays who settled a little better and with multiple options up forward managed to hold a 6 point lead at the first change. Goals to on ballers Jake Mold and Will Petropolous and a good long goal by Levi Casboult were the Stingrays three but the best forward on the day was the Cannons Serhat Temel who dominated the Stingrays defenders. Both Jarryd Amalfi and Jim Cottrell struggled to hold the strong marking Cannons key forward as he single handedly kept the Cannons in the game.
The second term was more of the same scrappy skill error ridden stuff with the Stingrays unable to shake of the persistent Cannons who managed to put plenty of pressure on the Stingrays especially through the mid field. Two goals to Andrew McInnes, another to Casboult and one to first gamer Jed Savage skipped the score out to a 12 point lead at half time. After the long break it was where the game really opened up and the Stingrays managed to find some space to use the ball. Six goals to three for the term then another seven goals to one in the last quarter had the Stingrays all over the Cannons on the scoreboard.
Whilst on paper it was an easy win for the Stingrays, the game never reached any great heights with the dogged and determined Cannons winning more than their fair share of the football. It was only the multiple options up forward for the Stingrays that was the difference. Ten different players kicked goals for the Stingrays whereas the Cannons only had three with Temel kicking a game high five goals. Coach Graeme Yeats was happy with the result but not very impressed with the manner the Stingrays played. A bit soft in the one on ones and too many lazy players relying on their team-mates to do the work were a couple of the focus points in his post match debrief.
Three of the Stingrays players will take part in the Vic Country vs Vic Metro Under 18 National carnival game next weekend. Ryan Bastinac and Mitch Hallahan will suit up for Vic Country with Tom Scully representing Vic Metro.
Next two weekends has the Stingrays having a well earned rest with a club bye then a competition bye and next appear on June 13th for a Sunday game against the Western Jets at Williamstown at 2.00pm.
Last Modified on 27/05/2009 09:20