By JARROD POTTER
TAC CUP – ROUND 6
FRONTING up for only one quarter won’t win many matches, but to Dandenong’s credit it almost happened in a two-point heartbreaking defeat against NSW/ACT Rams.
Losing Lachie Batten (bicep) and Gach Nyuon (groin) before the clash, the Stingrays were slow out of the gates and had to chase down the Rams as Matt Flynn, Matt Kennedy and Jock Cornell relished the small Shepley Oval dimensions.
Dandenong had to grit its teeth, but responded through Zak Roscoe and Matt La Fontaine (two goals) to reduce the gap to 14 at the first break.
Whatever was said in the quarter-time huddle must have been awe-inspiring, as that was the brand of football Dandenong played thereafter in the second term. Playing one of its best quarters of football in recent TAC Cup history – everything clicked for Dandenong as it booted seven goals in quick succession.
Link-up play, run-and-carry, hitting up the forwards – these were clinically executed by the likes of Daniel Capiron, Bailey Rice and Mitch Cox as they streamed up the ground with ease to deliver James Freeman (three goals) and Liam Mckay (two goals) textbook, lace-out reception.
It would be the summit of the Stingrays’ success on Saturday though, as it all fell away after half-time.
NSW/ACT would take the lead in the final term – as Dandenong squandered a 21-point advantage through the third term with turnovers, a glut of poor free kicks and clumsy 50-metre penalties (mostly for encroaching the mark) gifting the Rams a chance to get back into the clash.
But life remained in the Dandy sheds approaching the final siren as Travis Young tapped a throw-in expertly down to Darcy Warke, who slotted a running-goal which got Shepley Oval buzzing with a couple of minutes remaining.
It turned horrific after Warke converted though, as a reckless 50-metre penalty let NSW/ACT kick the winning goal from straight in front, 20 metres out to take an after-the-siren victory by two points.
“I think the second quarter we were really good and they always were going to come down and have a crack at us,” Dandenong coach Craig Black said.
“It was just some key areas of the game at certain times we turned the footy over a bit and gave them an opportunity.”
Black praised his streaming wingmen/defenders Rice and Capiron who “used the ball well” and also Warke for his first real stint in the midfield.
While he was pivotal down back all day, featuring in the best, Harry Prior was needed up forward as the under-sized Stingrays couldn’t swallow the hard pills when they came in thick and fast.
The fifth placed Stingrays now head up the hill to face the high-flying Eastern Ranges on Saturday from 11am.
