By JARROD POTTER
SFL DIVISION 3 – ROUND 5
A HOWLING result – both wind wise and on the scoreboard – as Endeavour Hills squandered chance-after-chance against Ashwood.
With a monstrous zephyr buffeting Barry Simon Reserve, all the Falcons and Magpies could do at the scoreboard end was to defend for their lives.
Spraying everything that came its way, Endeavour Hills suffered at the goal-face with 20 behinds going through to let Ashwood off the hook.
Without titan forward Daniel Morrison – derailed by a quad-injury – the Falcons’ didn’t have the mercurial accuracy needed to get the job done.
Even with the wind in the final term, Endeavour Hills could not outscore Ashwood as the visitors booted four-goals-one to an embarrassing two-goals-seven.
Shane Peake (four goals) held up his end of the bargain and continued a strong showing thus far in SFL Division 3 while Cade Marshall, Cedric Legrand and Nathan Crutchley were admirable across the field.
Endeavour Hills has fallen from the top-four following consecutive losses and now sits eighth in the pecking order before hosting Lyndale at home.
In other Division-3 results, Dandenong claimed its first win of the year – knocking over Southern Dragons by 58 points. The Redlegs were too strong for the returning Dragons as Chris Arnold (three goals) and Cameron Riley led the charge following a five-goal opening term to put the match beyond doubt. Sandown’s Fevola-less forward-line suffered a five-point loss to Moorabbin while Lyndale just scraped across the line against Hallam, 10.6 (66) to 4.9 (33).
DIVISION 2
Keysborough continued its merry march through the SFL with a 27-point victory over Skye.
Tyson King (five goals) is blitzing all and sundry in the division while Will Gayfer, Shaun Witherden and Daniel Morland were best afield.
Springvale Districts – defeated by Murrumbeena by 63 – and Doveton Eagles – lost by 66 to Highett – continued to struggle and are both at the foot of the SFL Division 2 ladder after five rounds.