Noble Park coach Shane Burgmann gives his charges some tactical instructions at three-quarter time.By Paul Pickering
NOBLE Park has announced itself as a genuine Eastern Football League contender with a crushing 10-goal win over highly rated East Ringwood on Saturday.
Bulls coach Shane Burgmann had no qualms about hailing the wire-to-wire victory as the club’s best of the season.
After the game, Burgmann revealed his group had set itself for the contest after a narrow loss to ladder-leading Vermont a fortnight earlier.
“We took a fair bit out of that loss, and we needed to show ourselves that we are legitimate contenders to play in the finals,” he said.
In handing East Ringwood just its second loss of the season, the Bulls went a long way towards proving their credentials to the legion of supporters at Pat Wright Senior Ground.
Noble Park’s thirst for the contest was undeniable in the first quarter as it dominated the clearances to score five goals to the Roos’ one.
While East Ringwood fought back in the second term, the Bulls pulled away again after half-time with seven goals to one in the third quarter.
Burgmann praised the efforts of his engine room, with Chris Anderson, Stuart Kemperman and Ross Ferraro among the key contributors.
The Bulls’ midfield dominance translated on to the scoreboard, with eight multiple goalkickers for the afternoon – including three from a resting Matt Skehan.
Vic Currie and Nathan Tiberi were also among the votes in the 62-point victory.
For the visitors, it was Daniel Sheers and Daniel Young who provided the most resistance to the charging Bulls.
The win has seen Noble Park emerge from a log jam in the middle of the Division One ladder, placing it two points clear of its next opponent Blackburn – which slogged out a low-scoring draw with Croydon.
Burgmann said the four-quarter performance would provide much-needed impetus for the run towards the finals.
“If we keep winning we control our own destiny,” he said.
“This week is going to be a real tough one though.
“It’s always a good match out at Blackburn because they play their home ground really well.”
Buoyed by a stunning victory, the Bulls’ faithful are expected to head to Blackburn’s Morton Park in droves on Saturday afternoon.
