CDHBU blew an opportunity to consolidate a position in the top half of the final six with inaccurate goal kicking and ten minutes of insipid football versus Howlong at Coreen last Saturday.
The Power started brightly enough but struggled to put distance between themselves and Howlong by kicking 8 consecutive behinds before notching up their first goal in the second quarter. The Power backs led by Ben Wilson and Tim Cooper stifled the big Spiders forward line in James Gray and Mark Dicketts and held Howlong to only two goals for the quarter. When the Power did kick their first goal they managed to get on a roll and kick 4 unanswered goals to head into half time with a handy 16 point lead in a low scoring affair. Sean Hanrahan was solid down back and Alex Wallis was proving to be handful for Howlong defence.
However, after half time, a combination of CDHBU not being prepared and Howlong lifting their game seen the Spiders kick 6 unanswered goals and therefore turning a 16 point deficit into a 22 point lead in the matter of ten minutes. The on ball brigade could not stop the Spiders from getting easy clearances from the centre square despite Kade Rowe’s tenacity around the packs. The Power were shell shocked but to their credit they managed to kick two goals late in the quarter to wrestle some momentum back at the last break.
The final quarter seen the Power reduce the margin to 4 points with goals to Kade Rowe and Damien Payne, however, inaccurate kicking continued to haunt the Power as Howlong made the most of their forward entries with late goals to seal the deal for the Spiders lifting them above the Power in the final six and pushing CDHBU into a cluster of teams vying for a position inside the six. Coach Payne left no-one in doubt as to the potential ramifications of the loss which, in essence, was brought on by a team in Howlong having more determination to win on the day.
Scores: CDHBU 7-16-58 defeated by Howlong 11-11-77
The Reserves have put back to back wins together for time this season with a 76 point victory over Howlong. As the boys continue to get fitter they continue to play more consistent football rewarding coach Renshaw with wins.
Rhys Jones was strong focal point up forward and Ryan Mills got plenty of the ball and pushed once again for senior recall. Madden Lohse played a great game whilst veteran Doug Lavis kicked 5 goals. The win see the twos boys get within striking distance of the six.
The thirds remain undefeated after a tense and tight match against a valiant Howlong opposition. The Power seemed to have the match in control for most of the day but inaccurate kicking kept the Spiders within striking distance. The players all knew that the young Spiders would have one last crack at victory and they nearly pulled it off, getting within 5 points. However, Finn Reeves remained cool under pressure down back whilst Matt Baker and Kane Mills won many possessions around the packs. A strong pack mark to Kane Mills in the goal square allowed him to kick the sealer and lift the Power into the outright lead on top of the ladder. Josh Tidd was great in the ruck allowing for Jimmy Hanrahan to win many clearances and Andrew Phibbs had a very strong game.
Scores: CDHBU 6-13-49 defeated Howlong 7-2-44
The fourths have won their third consecutive game with a big win over an under manned Howlong outfit.
Deaken Clancy kicked 7 goals whilst Cam Wilson continued his fine season to date. Darcy Melksham added polish around the packs and Matt McDonald played a typically determined game. Nathan McDonald also played a great game as did young duo, Ethan Hanrahan and Caleb Tilders. The win now sees the boys consolidate their position in the top six.
Scores: CDHBU 14-5-89 defeated Howlong 2-5-17
Last Modified on 08/06/2015 13:40