By Stephanie Kirkman
RESISTANCE down to the dying seconds of the match was the key to the Eastern Ranges strong, four-quarter performance last Saturday, according to coach Darren Bewick.
The Ranges displayed strong presence against the Calder Cannons throughout the entirely of the day to narrowly miss a taste of sweet victory, with the Cannons snatching a four-point win on the final siren, Eastern Ranges 8.17 (65) to Calder Cannons 9.15 (69).
Kicking against strong winds in the first quarter made it difficult for forwards to capatilise on the Ranges behalf, only managing to put a minor on the board at the end of the first term.
The second quarter sported much healthier scoring opportunities, with the Ranges converting six of nine shots at goal to trail the Cannons by 10-points before the main break.
The Ranges were left goalless in the third as the Cannons brought a more competitive edge to the game cracking down on critical, key forwards such as Karl Toce and Ryan Wilson.
But the game was far from over for the Ranges who rebounded in the final term to kick four goals to one, closing the margin to five-points with minutes to go before the final siren.
An explosive performance by Jonathon Patton saw the forward take a strong grab 25 metres out from goal in the dying seconds of the match – but the near miss left the Cannons to narrowly escape with a four-point victory.
Overall coach Bewick was quite impressed with his teams’ performance in comparison last week’s 77-point blitzing from the Dandenong Stingrays.
“The boys had a really strong last quarter and played well as a team – we managed to hold back the Cannons to only one goal, so I thought we did quite well,” he said.
Eastern Ranges Cameron O’Shea was the standout of the day finishing with 38 possessions and nine marks in a stunning all round game, while Jonathon Patton and Karl Toce finished with two goals apiece.
Next week the Ranges will face a tough match at home against the Geelong Falcons who currently sit on the top of the ladder undefeated.
Be sure to support the boys this Saturday 8th May at Box Hill City Oval, 2:00pm.
SCORES
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TEAMS
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TIME/VENUE
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9.15-69
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Calder Cannons
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11:00 AM
Sat 1/May
ABD Group Stadium
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def.
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8.17-65
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Eastern Ranges
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Goal Kickers: K. Toce 2, J. Patton 2, R. Wilson, A. Mullett, M. Bussey, N. Dodd
Best Players: C. O'Shea, G. Phelps, D. Volta, K. Post, A. Greenwood, A. Mullett
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Last Modified on 15/06/2010 13:12