By DAVID NAGEL
Casey Cardinia Football League – round 11
THE heroic efforts of 12 months earlier lasted for a half on Saturday as Keysborough got handed an 83-point defeat by Cranbourne at Rowley Allen Reserve.
The Burra, who pulled off the surprise of the 2013 Casey Cardinia league season with a gallant three-point victory over the Eagles at Casey Fields, were competitive early, before fading in the second half.
Strengthened by the return of key forward Tyson King, Jayke Hopkins and Tom Armstrong, the Burra trailed by 16-points at quarter time before producing one of their best quarters of the season.
The Burra went toe-to-toe with the grand finalist of the last three years, kicking 5.1 to 6.1 to trail by 22 points at the main break, despite King’s short-lived return finishing before half-time as he injured his left knee in a marking contest.
Cranbourne lifted their tempo in the second half, their 26 scoring shots to five a reflection of their dominance.
The hard-running Geoff Humphreys kicked three, and was the Burra’s best player, while Luke Damato and Davor Rajic were other multiple contributors with two apiece. Big-man Bryce Sutton, skipper Ryan Goodes and the in-form Danny Morland were also good while Cranbourne skipper Marc Holt returned to his best form with a seven-goal haul.
In other games, Pakenham jumped to third on the ladder with a grinding 19-point victory over Berwick, Narre Warren showed the gulf between itself and the rest with a 114-point thrashing of fifth-placed Beaconsfield, while Doveton and ROC showed they’re the best two teams outside the top-five with victories over Tooradin and Hampton Park respectively.
The Burra travels to Pakenham this Saturday, for part-one of a split round 12, before a week off as it prepares for Narre Warren.
