“The One that got away” from ‘The Outer Eye’
Norwood’s difficult start to season 2016 continued on Saturday with a challenging trip to Rowville, a side who beat us twice last year and were coming off a very meritorious victory last week against Balwyn at Balwyn. Our team line-up was very different again, with Darin Stewart and skipper John Holmes succumbing to injury while we were excited to be able to include VFL players Ryan Pendlebury and Blake Pearson, along with Jackson Kew, Gary Lisle and Alex Calder for his first game of the year & youngster Luke Harrington returning to the Seniors. The first quarter saw us attack into the wind for the first 5 minutes, but our only reward was a minor score. Rowville began to dominate field position and their ability to hold the ball in their forward line for repeat stoppages eventually told on our defence. Several goals eventuated, one from a bad turnover, whilst our only goal for the quarter came via a free to Matt Jessop. At quarter time we trailed by 15 points, 3.4 – 1.1
When Rowville goaled into the breeze early in the 2nd quarter the signs were not good, but for the next 25 minutes an amazing transformation came over the game. Initiated by big Blake “The Lumberjack” Charles dominance at the centre bounces, we controlled clearances and swept the ball forward with a precision and clarity not seen previously this year. Weardon and Bate goaled from set shots while Kreuzzer and Fingers slotted classy snaps as we hit the front. Blake Pearson produced a little bit of magic to slot another and when Jackson Kew marked inside 50 and handballed out the back for the silky Jordan Ceppi to run onto his trusty left foot and send one through post high, we had kicked 6 unanswered goals to take a 19 point lead into the half time break.
The game was there to be won, but we needed to control Rowville during their period with the breeze in the third quarter. An ill timed kick from defensive 50 back inside the corridor was sharked by Rowville and returned with interest for the first goal at the 2 minute mark. They added another soon after and another at the 15 minute mark to level the scores. We held on late in the quarter, and actually had three good chances to score a vital goal which would have steadied us These misses would haunt us as the last quarter unfolded. “Bad kicking is bad football”. To top it off with the ball locked in our forward pocket an undisciplined free saw the ball go coast-to-coast for a goal with only 2 seconds left on the clock At the last change we trailled by 6 points despite having 4 more scoring shots: 9.4 – 7.10
We needed an early goal to rebuild our self belief in the last quarter but it would not come. Rowville snuck a goal and the game began to be played on their terms, with their big men dropping back into space at half-back and denying us clean entry into forward 50. With 17 minutes gone we trailled by 13 and needed to score. A point saw Rowville kick out errantly to Gould on 50 who chipped to Pendelbury 35m out straight in front. Agonisingly his kick hit the post. He made amends shortly after with a clever dribble kick – our only goal for the 2nd half, and we were only 5 points down with about 5 minutes left But we were unablefashion another opportunity to hit the front and after a passage down the members wing where Rowville kept the ball alive within centimetres of the boundary they flipped it inboard for the killer goal, and with it went our winning chances. The siren sounded shortly after with the final scoreline 11.5.71 – 8.12.60.
It was a desperately disappointing result as we had appeared to be the better side for a good part of the day, but Rowville played the smarter football with the game on the line – and took their chances, which we just didn’t do.
Best Players included Gould, Poynton, Hill, and B.Pearson whilst Charles in the ruck continues to improve and show great promise. Ceppi, Hudson and Clarke all had solid games and we had many contributors in a much more team-oriented performance. Still, it was not enough to get the chocolates and as a club we must now realise with a 1-6 win/loss ratio that we are staring fairly and squarely at the prospect of a relegation battle with a couple of other sides. Home wins are going to be like gold dust – starting with Montrose next week. When the going gets tough...... Come on Wooders...
Last Modified on 31/05/2016 13:35