By DAVID NAGEL
SOUTH EAST FOOTBALL NETBALL LEAGUE REVIEW – ROUND 4
Cranbourne 13.10 (88) Beaconsfield 10.6 (66)
CRANBOURNE has beaten reigning premier Beaconsfield at its own game, out-pressuring, out-muscling and playing better team football on its way to a 22-point victory at Casey Fields.
Cranny’s new and improved team defence had to weather a Beacy storm in the first half, before whipping one up of its own in a devastatingly efficient third-quarter blast.
Simon Goosey’s men piled on six unanswered goals from the seven-minute mark to the 28-minute mark of the premiership quarter to turn the contest on its head.
It left Beaconsfield coach Clint Evans in rage as he delivered a stinging attack on his players at three-quarter-time.
“We spoke about our work rate at half time and it lasted two minutes, before we started playing selfish football and pointing fingers at each other,” an angry Evans roared.
“We spoke about being challenged this year, teams are going to come at us, and the first time it happens we start playing for ourselves. It’s not good enough and it needs to stop now.”
Beacy responded, with three of the first four goals in the final term, to draw within seven points, but late goals to Mat Fletcher and first-gamer Daniel Kitto saw the home side bank a well-deserved four points.
Beaconsfield’s gun-recruit Beau Dowler started forward, and made his presence felt early, leading and marking strongly as Brandon Osborne, Nick Morrish and Matt Rus took turns by his side.
Marc Holt looked even more dangerous up the other end, the Cranbourne champ was proving too strong for Daniel Battaglin, kicking the first of the match after a strong grab.
Chris Worner answered off the left for Beacy before Michael Theodoridis capped off the best play of the quarter with a set shot that began with a passage of play at the opposite end of the ground.
Beacy was dominating the contested ball with Daniel Mislicki, Tyson Mitchem and Damien Johnston, who drifted 10 to 15 metres back at the stoppages, killing Cranny where it counts.
This was despite Cranbourne’s young ruckmen Dylan Barfoot and Mitch Lindsay keeping Beacy champion Scott Meyer under control for most of the day.
Beacy’s stoppage work continued in the second term, one, two, three handballs, then spread and hit the target by foot … it was impressive stuff to watch.
Cranny held on, due mainly to the efforts of debutant Chris Johnson in defence, to trail by just eight points at the main break.
Shaun Pollard extended that lead to 14, just two minutes into the third, before Cranbourne took control.
Max Gearon and Fletcher started to win the contested ball, releasing Luke Bee-Hugo into space, and the home side made it count with some magnificent finishing.
From Ryan Davey at the seven minute mark, to Marty Leinmueller, to Bee-Hugo, to Holt for two more, Cranny was on a roll, and the best was yet to come.
Receiving a handball from Johnson on centre wing, Anthony Vella went on a Phil Manassa-type run, bouncing and baulking his way to the 50-metre arc before kicking an absolute beauty.
It put the home side four goals up after a brilliant 20 minutes of high-pressure football.
Cranbourne went inside 50 just 11 times for the third quarter, but converted magnificently kicking six goals two.
Holt, who was back to his best, and Bee-Hugo, who was best on the ground, kicked three each for Cranny, while Kitto was impressive with two goals on debut.
Gearon turned the stoppage count on its head after half time.
Evans had every right to spray his side at the final break – they played like millionaires in the third quarter and paid the ultimate price
Mislicki was great early, while Troy McDermott looked a likely hero in the final term and youngster Jordan Stewart was consistent for four quarters.
Both teams have crunch games this week, Cranny travelling to top-of-the-table Pakenham while Beacy host a revenge-seeking Narre Warren.
