DIVISION TWO
DROMANA have confirmed that they will finish on top the ladder with an impressive come from behind win over the in-form Red Hill at Dromana Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
Red Hill entered the contest full of confidence, coming off a remarkable seven-game winning run which saw them move up to second spot on the ladder.
The visiting Red Hill stunned the home crowd in the first term, racing away to a five-goal lead and holding Dromana goalless in the opening quarter.
Dromana used the break to gather themselves and looked a much better side in the second quarter, trimming the margin back to 20 points, but they still had a lot of work ahead of them.
After the half-time break, Dromana showed off the brand of football that put them on top of the ladder in the first place, as they overpowered Red Hill to claim back the lead and run away with a 14.9 (93) to 10.10 (70) win.
The win ensures that Dromana will remain on top of the ladder going into the finals, securing their double chance and their passage straight into the second round of finals.
The winning outfit benefited from an even spread of goalkickers, with Sam Fowler, Ben Holmes, and Jay Hutchinson each kicking three majors.
At Chelsea Reserve, the Seagulls played host to Pearcedale in what would prove to be a surprise match of the year contender.
Chelsea entered the contest as favourites and looked fairly comfortable up until the final term.
By the three-quarter time break, Chelsea had opened up a 25 point lead and looked as if they would run away with a fairly trouble free win.
Pearcedale had other ideas and stormed back into contention with a five goals to one final term.
Despite leading throughout the entire day, the stunned Seagulls couldn’t fight back as Pearcedale drew level with them heading into the closing stages of the match.
When the final siren sounded there was nothing separating either side, as Pearcedale and Chelsea shared the points in a thrilling draw, with the final score reading 13.12 (90) to 13.12 (90).
Around the grounds, Hastings hosted Karingal at Thomas Barclay Oval in a match that could have massive repercussions for Hastings’ season.
In a scrappy and hard-fought contest, the Bulls held the lead throughout, but Hastings were far from dead and buried. Going into the final term, the margin stood at just nine points in Karingal’s favour.
Despite looking set to go down to the wire, Hastings disappointed in the final term by failing to register a goal, as Karingal claimed the win 5.9 (39) to 7.14 (56).
The win sees the Bulls claim back second spot on the ladder, while it leaves Hastings only just clinging to their spot inside the top five.
With just two rounds to play before finals, Hastings finals spot is under threat by Langwarrin, who claimed an emphatic win over Tyabb to close the gap between them and fifth place to just two points.
With everything to play for, Langwarrin raced out to a strong lead in the first half, with the margin standing at 37 points in the Kangaroos’ favour at half-time.
Despite entering the clash in a good patch of form, having only just fallen to Dromana last week, the Yabbies were not quite up to scratch against Langwarrin, as the Kangaroos claimed a decisive win 9.5 (59) to 16.22 (118).
With Hastings set to face difficult match-ups away from home against Red Hill and Chelsea in their final two games of the year, Langwarrin may yet snatch a finals spot.
Somerville also claimed a good win over the weekend, securing a victory over Rye in what was essentially a dead rubber match-up.
The contest proved to be an entertaining one, as the lead stood at less than a goal at each break of play. Despite Somerville entering half-time with a two-point lead, Rye fought back to claim a three-point lead of their own going into the final term.
Although they were behind, Somerville enjoyed a much better final term to put the Demons away, as they took all four points with a 12.12 (84) to 10.10 (70) win.
The final match of the round saw Devon Meadows take on Crib Point at Glover Reserve in what would prove to be an easy win for the home side.
The Panthers raced out to a strong 33 point lead over the Magpies in the first term and held that lead throughout the entire afternoon.
Michael Theodoridis was the standout performer with five goals, as his Devon Meadows side claimed the win 15.18 (108) to 10.8 (68).
First published in the Mornington News – 31 July 2018
