By DAVID NAGEL
Casey Cardinia Football League – round 3
KEYSBOROUGH’s spirit and resolve is about to be sternly tested after the Burra went down to Pakenham by a flattering 21 points at Rowley Allen Reserve on Saturday.
Coach Chris Bryan will need to steel his troops like never before as the Burra this week make the horror-trip to Narre Warren, – looking for its 40th consecutive scalp – before hosting an in-form Berwick in round five. Likely losses in those two encounters will make it four on end for the Burra, who made a bright start to the season with a win over Doveton in round one.
That victory seems an eternity ago now, after the Burra were run off their legs by the fleet-footed Lions on Saturday. The Burra were quite simply outgunned in all departments.
Pakenham’s midfield of Russ Lehman, Dom Paynter, new-recruit Sean Winsall and returning skipper Dean Blake were too nimble for their Keysborough counterparts, despite the efforts of Ryan Goodes and Richard Minney who battled hard. That midfield deficiency translated to trouble for the home side’s forwards, Davor Rajic and Tyson King kept to two and one goal respectively against a disciplined Lions’ defence.
Glen Hawthorn and Reece Spadaccini stood firm under some relentless pressure from the Lions in the third quarter, but a lack of support saw the margin blow out to 41 points at the final break, courtesy of 3.5 to 0.3 term. A late rally by the hosts, who kicked 4.3 to 1.1 in the final stanza, failed to camouflage a clear gap between the two sides.
Big-men, Bryce Sutton and Bryan, joined Goodes and Hawthorn as the Burra’s best while Tim Werner was the home sides’ only multiple goal-kicker with two. Daniel Fry returned to form for the Lions, kicking four goals, while Lehman was also dangerous in front of the big sticks with two.
