By ROY WARD
BRILLIANT bursts are winning games for Noble Park right now but the Bulls know they need to find more consistent play if they want to keep up their success.
The two-time Eastern Football League division 1 premiers scored a key win on Saturday, beating East Ringwood by 37 points at East Ringwood Reserve.
The win puts the Bulls three games clear of sixth place Knox and leaves the highly talented Roos on the verge of finals elimination in seventh place.
After the Roos led by 17 points at half-time and looked good value for the win, the Bulls stormed back into the game with an eight goals to two third term, snatching back the lead and the ascendancy heading into the final change.
Roos coach Bernie Dinneen demanded a blue-collar, hard-running performance from his side in the final term while Bulls coach Mick Fogarty asked his players to shut down Roos centre-half back Joel Perry and make sure the Roos never got a sniff of a comeback.
The Bulls responded to Fogarty’s call, dominating the contests and reaping numerous inside-50s in the final term with Bulls key forward Luke Mann hitting a purple patch just when his side needed it as he kicked four of his six goals in the last term, including a falling snap from the right pocket for the first goal of the term.
Fogarty said his injury-riddled side had gone to its veterans after half-time and once again pulled out an impressive comeback.
“We went to our older midfield with Glen Manson rucking along with Stewart Kemperman, Andrew McConnell and Tyson Mitchem,” Fogarty said. “They lacked a little pace but gave us strong bodies around the contest which let us get more of the football.”
While Fogarty applauded his men for their determination he also asked for a much broader performance rather than blistering single-quarter displays.
“We can’t keep giving sides opportunities early in the game because one day we won’t be able to come back,” he said. “We have these brilliant highs and then bad lows and we need to find a consistency of performance, bring those two extremes together.”
Fogarty also praised Mann, who at times struggles to regularly kick goals yet shone on former North Melbourne and Adelaide-listed player Perry.
Manson, returning from suspension, was named best for the Bulls, who face another major showdown when they host Scoresby at Pat Wright Senior Oval this Saturday.
EFL division 1 ladder: Norwood 36 points, 136.66 percentage; Balwyn 32, 138.61; Scoresby 32, 129.80; Vermont 32, 118.13; Noble Park 32, 117.86; Knox 20, 94.05; East Ringwood 20, 91.67; Lilydale 16, 93.30; East Burwood 16, 92.73; Blackburn 16, 82.47; South Croydon 8, 76.72; Croydon 4, 70.37.
FINAL SCORES
Victorian Football League:
Casey Scorpions 18.8 (116) d Port Melbourne 17.7 (109).
TAC Cup:
Gippsland Power 11.12 (78) d Dandenong Stingrays 11.8 (74).
Southern Football League:
Divisions 1, 2 and 3: bye.
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: Vermont 17.18 (120) d South Croydon 8.9(57); Scoresby 20.18 (138) d Croydon 7.3 (45); Blackburn 12.15(87) d East Burwood 11.8 (74); Lilydale 15.9 (99) d Knox 8.8 (56); Noble Park 18.18(126) d East Ringwood 13.11 (89); Norwood 8.13 (61) d Balwyn 4.10 (34).
Division 2: Bayswater 13.11 (89) d Mooroolbark 11.13(79); Rowville 26.15 (171) d Doncaster 6.7(43); Donvale 10.16 (76) d Doncaster East 6.9(45); Montrose 12.19 (91) d Mulgrave 8.7 (55); Upper Ferntree Gully 10.8 (68) d Waverley Blues 10.5 (65).
Division 3: Heathmont 18.6 (114) d Boronia 15.17(107); Ringwood 18.11 (119) d Chirnside Park 4.7 (31); Mitcham 14.7 (91) d Glen Waverley Hawks 11.15 (81); Wantirna South 11.17 (83) d Warrandyte 11.4 (70); North Ringwood 20.19 (139) d Coldstream 12.7 (79); Templestowe 15.17 (107) d Whitehorse Pioneers 4.11 (35).
Division 4: South Belgrave 14.17 (101) d Park Orchards 9.15 (69); Forest Hill 16.11 (107) d Surrey Park 6.7 (43); Ferntree Gully 12.13 (85) d Eastern Lions 7.11 (53); Kilsyth 16.18 (114) d Canterbury 8.5(53); The Basin 22.17 (149) d Silvan 8.16 (64).
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Cranbourne 24.17(161) d Berwick 10.8 (68); Narre Warren 13.16(94) d Beaconsfield 10.8 (68); Doveton 38.22 (250) d Hampton Park 3.3 (21); Pakenham 15.16 (106) d ROC 13.9 (87); Tooradin-Dalmore 17.13 (115) d Keysborough 7.16 (58).
For full results, click on Greaater Dandenong Latest Sports Results at upper right.
THIS WEEK
Victorian Football League:
Bendigo v Casey Scorpions, Windy Hill 1.15pm; Frankston v Box Hill Hawks, Frankston Oval 2pm.
TAC Cup:
Sandringham Dragons v Dandenong Stingrays, Shepley Oval 11am.
Southern Football League:
Division 1: StPaul’s v Heatherton, McKinnon Reserve 2pm; Clayton v St Kilda City, Meade Reserve 2pm; Dingley v Highett, Souter Oval 2.20pm.
Division 2: Springvale Districts v Oakleigh District, Springvale Reserve 2pm; Murrumbeena v Southern Dragons, Murrumbeena Park 2pm.
Division 3: Lyndale v Endeavour Hills, Barry Powell Reserve 2pm; Mount Waverley v Sandown, Mayfield Reserve 2pm; Doveton Eagles v Hallam, Power Reserve 2pm; Moorabbin v Dandenong, Widdop Crescent Reserve 2pm.
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: East Burwood v East Ringwood, East Burwood Reserve 2.10pm; Knox v Norwood, Knox Gardens Reserve 2.10pm; Lilydale v South Croydon, Lilydale Sports Oval 2.10pm; Noble Park v Scoresby, Pat Wright Senior Oval 2.10pm; Vermont v Croydon, Vermont Recreation Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 2: Donvale v Upper Ferntree Gully, Donvale Reserve 2.10pm; Mooroolbark v Montrose, Heights Reserve 2.10pm; Mulgrave v Doncaster, Mulgrave Reserve 2.10pm; Rowville v Bayswater, Seebeck Oval 2.10pm; Doncaster East v Waverley Blues, Zerbes Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 3: Heathmont v Mitcham, HE Parker Reserve 2.10pm; Chirnside Park v Glen Waverley Hawks, Kimberley Reserve 2.10pm; North Ringwood v Ringwood, Quambee Reserve 2.10pm; Boronia v Whitehorse Pioneers, Tormore Reserve 2.10pm; Wantirna South v Templestowe, Walker Reserve 2.10pm; Warrandyte v Coldstream, Warrandyte Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 4: The Basin v Kilsyth, Batterham Reserve 2.10pm; South Belgrave v Nunawading, Belgrave South Recreation Reserve 2.10pm; Canterbury v Ferntree Gully, Canterbury Sports Ground 2.10pm; Forest Hill v Park Orchards, Forest Hill Reserve 2.10pm; Silvan v Surrey Park, Silvan Recreation 2.10pm.
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Cranbourne v Narre Warren, Casey Fields 2.15pm; ROC v Berwick, Officer Recreation Reserve 2.15pm; Beaconsfield v Pakenham, Perc Allison Oval 2.15pm; Doveton v Tooradin-Dalmore, Robinson Oval 2.15pm; Keysborough v Hampton Park, Rowley Allen Reserve 2.15pm.
All games on Saturday unless otherwise stated.
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