Bulls stretch winning streak

– Marc McGowan
THE Noble Park Bulls continued their unbeaten season with a 33-point victory over Croydon in the Eastern Football League Division One clash at Croydon Oval on Saturday.
The Bulls jumped Croydon from the outset, slamming on eight goals from thirteen scoring shots, to lead by 45 points at quarter-time.
A five-goal second quarter gave them a commanding 50-point break at half-time.
It was a much tighter match after that, with Croydon grafting its way into the contest with a three-goal-to-none third term, before Noble Park wrested back the ascendancy with a two-goal-to-one last quarter.
After the Bulls’ devastating opening term, the game was never in doubt and both teams basically played out time from then on.
Noble Park playing coach Shane Burgmann said the team played some good football in the first half, but was outplayed in the second.
“I think we might have taken the foot off the accelerator a bit,” he said.
David Velardo kicked five goals for the Bulls, while Nathan Tiberi and Gavin Vassallo – who kicked three goals – were Noble Park’s best.
Burgmann was reserved when asked about his team’s chances of going through the season undefeated.
“After every win, you’re one game closer to a loss,” he said. “We’ve got a tough match this week against Lilydale and they’re trying to make a statement about where they stand. We only got up by a kick against them last time and they’ve improved since then.”
Burgmann still rates reigning premier Vermont as his side’s main challenger to this year’s flag, despite the latter’s draw against seventh-placed Donvale on the weekend.