By ROY WARD
WITH each kick into Noble Park’s defensive 50-metre line in the final term of its clash with Lilydale on Saturday, the Bulls’ top-three hopes hung by a thread.
The two-time Eastern Football League division 1 premiers couldn’t get clean possessions against the fired-up Falcons, who had previously struggled to lift to the standard and speed of top-level football after winning promotion last season.
A loss for the Bulls would leave them in a dogfight for third place with Vermont and other rising EFL sides. A win for the Falcons would have been fair reward for their most committed display of the season.
Falcons veteran Daniel Breese goaled midway through the final term to put his side within three points of the lead and the Falcons midfielders continued to push the ball into their forward line with Breese and former North Melbourne player Nathan O’Keefe looking ready to finish the ailing champions.
But with each forward thrust came a rearguard from the Bulls, who may have ridden their luck after a Falcons player appeared to take a diving mark 40 metres from goal only to have the umpire call it touched.
Finally with 23 minutes gone in the final term unheralded Bulls midfielder Andrew McConnell, one of their best on the day, caught onto a rapid counter-attack and kicked what turned out to be the match-winning goal, taking the Bulls’ lead to nine points.
Tireless Bulls midfielder Stewart Kemperman dribbled through another major to end any doubt but Bulls coach Mick Fogarty said no matter the personnel, he expected his side to win.
“It was a hard, tough day at the office,” a relieved Fogarty said post game. “We were challenged today and I knew we would be. I don’t want to hear about injuries or missing players. We were confident the side we put on the park today was good enough to win and to their credit they fought it out.”
On a day when the cold conditions and rugged, contested play left goals at a premium, the Bulls asked much of their less-proven players like Luke Cody, Ben Keane and Luke Bull along with older heads like Kemperman, McConnell and Ziggy Alwan, with all standing up in the last term when the game was on the line.
Fogarty said McConnell hadn’t caught too many eyes this season but he expected much of his recruit. “I’ve seen some very good performances from him over the years and while he might have been a little quiet this season he is a very good player, even if he hasn’t impressed yet.”
The Bulls play Vermont at Vermont this Saturday.
FINAL SCORES
Victorian Football League:
Casey Scorpions 11.15 (81) d Sandringham 10.17(77).
TAC Cup:
Dandenong Stingrays 16.16 (112) d Northern Knights 14.5 (89).
Southern Football League:
Division 1: East Brighton 12.17 (89) d Clayton 7.3 (45); Dingley 15.11 (101) d Heatherton 5.7 (37).
Division 2: Springvale Districts 23.14 (152) d South Yarra 4.12 (36); Black Rock 9.12 (66) d Southern Dragons 7.8 (50); Oakleigh District 12.11 (83) d Murrumbeena 11.5 (71).
Division 3: Ashwood 9.7 (61) d Sandown 8.9 (57); Dandenong 12.16 (88) d Hallam 5.4 (34); Mt Waverley 21.19 (145) d Lyndale 4.6 (30); Doveton Eagles 16.19(115) d Endeavour Hills 4.7 (31).
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: Norwood 11.11 (77) d South Croydon 11.9(75); Knox 14.8 (92) d East Burwood 10.12 (72); Vermont 20.11 (131) d East Ringwood 10.8 (68); Balwyn 11.10 (76) d Croydon 4.18 (42); Scoresby 18.19 (127) d Blackburn 9.8 (62); Noble Park 11.8 (74) d Lilydale 9.5 (59).
Division 2: Mooroolbark 20.10 (130) d Doncaster East 7.11 (53); Rowville 14.20 (104) d Upper Ferntree Gully 3.14 (32); Montrose 13.11 (89) d Bayswater 11.8 (74); Donvale 13.15 (93) d Mulgrave 8.1 (49); Waverley Blues 13.13 (91) d Doncaster 12.7 (79).
Division 3: Glen Waverley Hawks 17.14 (116) d Coldstream 7.10 (52); Ringwood 18.14 (122) d Mitcham 8.8 (56); Warrandyte 7.13 (55) d Chirnside Park 6.13 (49); Templestowe 11.7 (73) d Boronia 6.12(48); Whitehorse Pioneers 12.12 (84) d Heathmont 10.11 (71); Wantirna South 10.11 (71) d North Ringwood 9.16 (70).
Division 4: The Basin 20.17 (137) d Forest Hill 9.4 (58); South Belgrave 21.23 (149) d Canterbury 5.8 (38); Park Orchards 9.11 (65) d Eastern Lions 9.10 (64); Silvan 10.16 (76) d Kilsyth 10.4 (64); Nunawading 19.13 (127) d Surrey Park 4.4 (28); Ferntree Gully bye.
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Berwick 11.12 (78) d Keysborough 5.5 (35); Tooradin-Dalmore 24.26(170) d Hampton Park 3.3-21; Cranbourne, Beaconsfield, Narre Warren, ROC, Pakenham, Doveton bye.
For full results, click on Greater Dandenong Latest Sport Results link at upper right
THIS WEEK
Victorian Football League:
Werribee Tigers v Casey Scorpions, Avalon Airport Oval 2pm
TAC Cup:
Western Jets v Dandenong Stingrays, Burbank Oval 1pm.
Southern Football League:
Division 1: St Kilda City v Dingley, Peanut Farm Reserve 2pm; Heatherton v Clayton, Ross Street Reserve 2pm.
Division 2: Oakleigh District v South Yarra, Princes Highway Reserve 2pm; Springvale Districts v Hampton, Springvale Reserve 2pm; Southern Dragons v Skye, Keeley Park 2.20pm.
Division 3: Lyndale v Moorabbin, Barry Powell Reserve 2pm; Endeavour Hills v Mount Waverley, Barry Simon Reserve 2pm; Hallam v Ashwood, Hallam Reserve 2pm; Caulfield v Dandenong, Koornang Park Reserve 2pm; Sandown v Doveton Eagles, Edinburgh Reserve 2.20pm.
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: Balwyn v East Ringwood, Balwyn Park 2.10pm; Croydon v South Croydon, Hughes Park 2pm; Lilydale v East Burwood, Lilydale Sports Oval 2.10pm; Norwood v Blackburn, Mullum Reserve 2.10pm; Scoresby v Knox, Scoresby Recreation Reserve 2.10pm; Vermont v Noble Park, Vermont Recreation Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 2: Bayswater v Doncaster East, Bayswater Oval 2.10pm; Upper Ferntree Gully v Mulgrave, Kings Park 2.10pm; Waverley Blues v Mooroolbark, Mt Waverley Reserve 2.10pm; Rowville v Montrose, Seebeck Oval, 2.10pm.
Division 3: Coldstream v Ringwood, Coldstream Reserve 2.10pm; Chirnside Park v Wantirna South, Kimberley Reserve 2.10pm; Templestowe v Heathmont, Templestowe Reserve, 2.10pm; Boronia v Mitcham, Tormore Reserve 2.10pm; Glen Waverley Hawks v North Ringwood, Capital Reserve 2.30pm.
Division 4: Canterbury v Park Orchards, Canterbury Sports Ground 2.10pm; Ferntree Gully v Surrey Park, Ferntree Gully Reserve 2.10pm; Forest Hill v Kilsyth, Forest Hill Reserve 2.10pm; Nunawading v The Basin, Koonung Reserve 2.10pm; Eastern Lions v South Belgrave, Lewis Park 2.10pm; Bye Silvan.
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Cranbourne v Beaconsfield, Casey Fields 2.10pm; Pakenham v Doveton, Toomuc Reserve 2.10pm. Bye Berwick, Keysborough, Narre Warren, ROC, Hampton Park and Tooradin-Dalmore.
All games on Saturday unless otherwise stated.
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