South have withstood a spirited Bulldog team to win by 36 points
South have jumped a game clear at the top of the Premiership ladder with a hard fought win in the 2nd game of the Anzac Day double header. The game was played in the right spirit, apart from a melee at 1/4 time, that could have flared up given Coaches and other Officials were on their way to their huddles.
South had the breeze (it was so windy that it was hard to say it was really an advantage) and controlled field position however North were rock solid in defence. Captain Codie Howard was outstanding behind the play and Isaac Cumming was a great link up player. As anticiapted the game was super fast and players had minimal time and space to execute their skills. Cody Schorn managed to kick a goal but it was tough going for both sides.
1/4 time South 2-2 to North 0-0.
North managed a miserly 2 points with the wind in the 2nd term and had injuries to Ethan Slater, and Codie Howard and Ben Thompson appeared to sustain injuries that limited their effectiveness the longer the game went. South have a game plan that squeezes up the opposition and North could never develop any open footy. Jake Gepp was outstanding in a run with role on Anthony Henderson whilst defenders Jake Peters and Tyson Boland were providing good rebound. Riley Schorn may have surprised a few with his Miners Cup selection but not the South Coaches as he has been outstanding the last 2 weeks.
Souths midfielders work harder for longer led by Purcell who initially locked down on Howard before running amoke in the second half. Jordan Johns had Jayden Kelly as his shadow and that's all he was as Johns just never stopped running to link up with team mates. Throw in Shapter, Westley & Luke Lines and its a surprise North were only 3 goals down.
1/2 time South 3-2 to North 0-2.
The third quarter was more of the same as South locked the ball in their attacking half and North stood firm but could not create any attacking options. South's Tom Billings dominated playing a kick behind play on the brewery wing and North could not find the detour. North had many outstanding players also led by veteran defender Matt Dempster who at one stage was "down and out" but after a quick spell was back holding out the Roos. South could only grab two goals for the quarter and it took the magic of Cody Schorn to create them.
3/4 time South 5-4 to North 0-3.
The wild cross wind had dropped a little and 5 goals did not seen out of reach. South had other ideas and were able to contstantly attack and scored two goals themselves, one through a big goal square grab by Dylan Browne. Phil Neal bobbed up with 2 for the day also he continues to justify his spot in the side as he sneaks up on game 400.
With minutes to go the burning question was would the Dogs have a goal scorer? With time running out Chris Billings swooped on ball to break the duck for the Dogs.
Full Time Souths 7-6 to North 1-6
So the Roos go top and extend their unbeaten record to 19 games having won the final 15 minor rounds of 2014 and the GF. This is no fluke, yes they have a good depth but the real key is the game plan where every player is playing their role. There was no South players that did not step up when it was their turn. The forwards worked hard to hold the ball in and the midfielders and backs did a super job to restict a very good North team to just one goal. North Coach David Ruddock could not have been dissappointed in the effort and now has 3 weeks to ponder some fine tuning to the game plan. Here's hoping we get a balmy windless day so these 44 players can turn on another quality contest.
South Best: Purcell, Shapter, Boland, Gepp, Johns, Browne, R Schorn and many more
North Best: Morgan, Dempster, Cumming, Howard, C Billings, K Ellis, J Ruddock
Last Modified on 26/04/2015 23:31