By ROY WARD
DINGLEY coach Shane Morwood has billed the Dingoes’ clash with Clayton at Souter Oval this Saturday as the most important match of the round.
The Dingoes pulled off a major upset on Saturday, beating third-placed Cheltenham by 19 points, reversing a 131-point loss earlier in the Southern Football League division 1 season.
The win took the Dingoes to fifth place on the ladder, setting up a must-win clash against the Clays, who beat the Dingoes comfortably at Clayton in their previous meeting.
Morwood said his side wanted to turn the tables on the Clays and move another step closer to sealing a spot in the top five.
“Since that last loss to Clayton, we have gone 6-2 and one of those losses was by a point to East Brighton. We are doing the right things now and believing in ourselves and we are getting the results.
”We don’t have an easy run home but our destiny is in our own hands starting with Clayton this week, which is the most important game of the round.”
Morwood praised his players for their efforts against Cheltenham and over the past eight weeks.
“The true Dingley turned up this time,” he said. “I think our form has been building since the first Cheltenham game. After that match we had a big chat and decided on a few things in regard to how we play, and since then the attitude has been right.”
Morwood said Dingoes players across the ground stood up on the day and would need to maintain their form to press for the finals.
He also hasn’t given up on moving up the ladder as division 1 sides continue to knock each other off leading into the finals.
Morwood admitted he was surprised at some of the results in the competition, including lowly Heatherton’s upset win over top team East Brighton on Saturday.
“You would have put all your money on East Brighton winning that one,” he said. “Anything can happen and if you look at the draw a lot of sides have a tough run home. If we play well then our results will look after themselves.”
SFL division 1 ladder: East Brighton 52 points, 215.36 per cent; Chelsea Heights 48, 154.64; Cheltenham 36, 155.91; St Paul’s 36, 132.73; Dingley 32, 119.91; St Kilda City 28, 105.57; Clayton 24, 91.44; Heatherton 12, 52.83; Highett 8, 68.48; Mordialloc 4, 35.67.
FINAL SCORES
Victorian Football League:
Casey Scorpions 15.15(105) d Frankston 10.9 (69).
TAC Cup:
Dandenong Stingrays 14.18 (102) d Eastern Ranges 8.6 (54).
Southern Football League:
Division 1: East Brighton 4.7 (31) d Heatherton 7.5(47); Chelsea Height 8.12 (60) d Clayton 5.8 (38); Dingley 11.10 (76) d Cheltenham 8.9 (57).
Division 2: East Malvern 11.7 (73) d Oakleigh District 8.8 (56); Springvale Districts 18.16 (124) d Southern Dragons 8.6 (54).
Division 3: Hallam 13.10 (88) d Lyndale 13.5 (83); Sandown 5.11 (41) d Endeavour Hills 4.3 (27); Ashwood 8.7 (55) d Moorabbin 5.12 (42); Mount Waverley won, scores not provided; Doveton Eagles 16.18 (114) d Dandenong 2.4 (16).
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: Noble Park 15.7 (97) d South Croydon 5.6(36); East Burwood 11.15 (81) d Balwyn 12.7 (79); Knox 11.8 (74) d East Ringwood 8.7 (55); Lilydale 8.15(63) d Croydon 6.11 (47); Vermont 16.18 (114) d Blackburn 3.13 (31); Norwood 5.7 (37) d Scoresby 1.5(11).
Division 2: Bayswater 8.9 (57) d Donvale 7.8 (50); Rowville 5.9 (39) d Mooroolbark 4.4 (28); Mulgrave 11.11 (77) d Waverley Blues 6.8 (44); Doncaster 12.6(78) d Upper Ferntree Gully 9.9 (63); Montrose 12.15 (87) d Doncaster East 2.8 (20).
Division 3: Mitcham 10.9 (69) d Coldstream 7.13 (55); Ringwood 6.10 (46) d Wantirna South 4.5 (29); Templestowe 10.12 (72) d Chirnside Park 2.8 (20); Boronia 9.9 (63) d North Ringwood 7.6 (48); Heathmont 19.13 (127) d Warrandyte 9.6 (60); Glen Waverley Hawks 11.12 (78) d Whitehorse Pioneers 3.7(25).
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Cranbourne 39.24(258) d Hampton Park 0.2 (2); Narre Warren 31.14 (200) d Pakenham 6.3 (39); ROC 9.9 (63) d Keysborough 7.18 (60); Berwick 17.9 (111) d Doveton 4.11 (35); Beaconsfield, Tooradin-Dalmore bye.
For full results, click on Greater Dandenong Latest Sport Results link at upper right.
THIS WEEK
Victorian Football League:
Casey Scorpions v Northern Blues, Casey Fields 2pm.
TAC Cup:
Dandenong Stingrays v North Ballarat Rebels, Shepley Oval 1pm.
Southern Football League:
Division 1: Cheltenham v Heatherton, Jack Barker Oval 2pm; Dingley v Clayton, Souter Oval 2pm.
Division 2: Bentleigh v Springvale Districts, Bentleigh Reserve 2pm; Southern Dragons v Oakleigh District, Keeley Park 2pm.
Division 3: Ashwood v Doveton Eagles, Essex Heights Reserve 2pm; Dandenong v Mount Waverley, Greaves Reserve 2pm; Hallam v Endeavour Hills, Hallam Reserve 2pm; Caulfield v Lyndale, Koornang Park Reserve 2pm; Moorabbin v Sandown, Widdop Crescent Reserve 2pm.
Eastern Football League:
Division 1: Balwyn v Knox, Balwyn Park 2.10pm; South Croydon v East Ringwood, Cheong Park 2.10pm; Croydon v Noble Park, Hughes Park 2.10pm; Lilydale v Blackburn, Lilydale Sports Oval 2.10pm; Norwood v East Burwood, Mullum Reserve 2.10pm; Vermont v Scoresby, Vermont Recreation Reserve 2.10pm.
Division 2: Bayswater v Mulgrave, Bayswater Oval 2.10pm; Upper Ferntree Gully v Doncaster East, Kings Park 2.10pm; Waverley Blues v Montrose, Mt Waverley Reserve 2.10pm; Doncaster v Mooroolbark, Schramms Reserve 2.10pm; Rowville v Donvale, Seebeck Oval 2.10pm.
Division 3: Heathmont v Chirnside Park, HE Parker Reserve 2.10pm; Templestowe v Ringwood, Templestowe Reserve 2.10pm; Mitcham v Warrandyte, Walker Park 2.10pm; Wantirna South v Coldstream, Walker Reserve 2.10pm; Whitehorse Pioneers v North Ringwood, Whitehorse Reserve 2.10pm; Glen Waverley Hawks v Boronia, Capital Reserve 2.30pm.
Casey Cardinia Football League:
Beaconsfield v Tooradin-Dalmore, Perc Allison Oval, 2.15pm (split round).
All games on Saturday unless otherwise stated.
