Lacrosse report: Division 3, Bendigo vs Caulfield at Caulfield Park, 28/4/18.
After one of the longer car trips in Victorian lacrosse, the Warhawks arrived at Caulfield Park and were welcomed by bright sunshine. I suppose winter will eventually turn up some time, but certainly not this week.
The Bendigo team fielded 13 to start, while Caulfield could only muster 11.
The game began ugly, with both sides making many stick-work mistakes and finding it difficult to get organised and properly into gear and there was little to inspire a spectator. There were some exploratory shots at both ends of the field, but both goalies were largely untroubled and the first quarter passed with only one score and that was for Caulfield.
The second term saw the Warhawks possess the ball better in attack, though again, there was little planning or structure in the forward play and the ball was sometimes squandered on unbacked long shots and dropped passes. However, Caulfield struggled to find their feet in attack as well, so the game became one of frequent possession changes and tiring running in hot sun. Goals eventually came for the Warhawks from either individual drives on goal or at best; a single pass to a cutting player. Alex Orr scored twice from good movement and accurate feeds, and Ian lock sent one home, when his quick hands converted a disputed ground ball near the crease into a billowing goal net. With the Bendigo defence standing firm, Caulfield managed only one more for the quarter and at half time, the score stood at 3-2 with Bendigo in the narrowest ascendancy.
The Warhawks went to the third with one less player after nagging injury forced Mason Matherson out of the game. Despite the loss, the Bendigo team began to settle down, with clear superiority in the centre draw and some great midfield running keeping the ball in the Bendigo half, and a marked improvement in ball handling beginning to tell on the scoreboard. Alex Orr scored twice for the quarter and one of the goals was from a really nice cut and a sharp assist from John Webb, I have to say, that went exactly as we always practice it. Ian Lock scored another from beating a couple of defenders in close who failed to mark him closely enough.
Caulfield found a gap in the Iuliano defence twice for the quarter and the final change had the score on 6-4.
The last term saw the Warhawks pull away, and despite Caulfield having the sun in Gino’s eyes, they were unable to score in the fourth. Well done to the Bendigo defence!
The Warhawks piled on five in the last quarter and most were assisted goals, which is really pleasing. Ian Lock cut loose, banging home three for the quarter; Alex Orr scored one more and John Webb broke an early season drought and delivered the coup de grace, when Russell Crofts sent a hard pass into the crease where it was cleanly taken and shot past a screening defender. The game finished with the score on 11-4 and a great win to Bendigo.
Votes went to Alex Orr (3 Club and 3 Association) and I suppose his score line of 5 goals and an assist is enough in itself to earn those votes, but he did that on top of his usual midfield slog with a short bench. Well done! Tim Davis earned 2 Club votes and a single Association vote for his usual ref’s-eye-catching running on the middie and relentless work in defence, however in the attacking half, I’d like to see Tim start to discover the joy of the assist, rather than the surf-casting from the restraining line.
Ian Lock celebrated his 50th game for the club (Congratulations!) with a nice handful of goals and a well-earned single Club vote.
Well done lads! A good win from a fast finish. I should point out that for 11 goals; 6 were awarded assists (Brett Ruiz, Russell Crofts, Alex Orr, John Webb, Jordan O’Meara and Dylan Le Clerq), which is a good indicator that team play was coming together (I think it was actually more like 7 assists; they missed one of mine, but isn’t that just the lot of the selfless feeder ….?).
Lets get to training (I’ll see you Thursday) and give Footscray something to worry about next week.
John Webb
Senior Player.
Last Modified on 30/04/2018 20:33