Willunga hosted Myponga-Sellicks on a sunny autumn afternoon with the slightest of breezes favouring the southern end. The home side rested three players against the winless Mudlarks and, late in the game, nearly regretted their decision. The visitors came to play and maintained their efforts across four quarters. The Demons led all day but could not put their opponents away and won by a meagre ten points.
The first quarter began as an even tussle although Willunga looked in control with Standfield marking everything up front and Cook providing strong rebound in defence. Altus and Brunton combined to set up the first goal of the game through the hard running Warmington. Then Darcy Scott, playing as a forward, slipped around a couple of defenders in the forward pocket and kicked a sharp goal around his body. The Mudlarks dug deep to halt the constant Willunga forward thrusts. They ran the ball from deep in defence, around the western wing where Cock drove the ball forward to Trevena who nailed the set shot. Jordan Kennedy should have kicked an equaliser just before half-time but he missed running towards an unguarded goal.
Altus kicked the home team’s third goal of the day after he marked a 40-metre pass from Darcy Scott. Darcy had a chance to kick another himself three minutes later after marking a well-placed Fenton kick– but his set shot drifted left. Willunga dominated most of the quarter but were plagued by the same inaccuracy that beset them the previous week against Mt Compass. They kicked 1 goal 6 behinds. Myponga-Sellicks’ Vinall kicked accurately after he was rewarded for a strong tackle on a Willunga defender. His goal, the Mudlarks only score for the quarter, brought the visitors within 15 points at half time.
Willunga’s Renney kicked the opening goal of the second half but the Demons were outscored by Myponga-Sellicks 3 goals 1 behind to 4 goals in the premiership quarter. Samuel Kennedy neutralised the Altus goal when he was the beneficiary of a soft FOD. He kicked consecutive goals with a strong mark on the western boundary line and a booming 50-metre kick. Pacillo and Standfield then combined to get it back for Willunga. Play was held up for 5-minutes when Myponga-Sellicks’ Whitford landed awkwardly and was stretched off the field with a leg injury. Despite being one man short in their rotations, the Mudlarks displayed commendable gut-running to create forward opportunities. Their kicking to position in the second half was longer and more attacking than in the first half, and their contested marking proved strong. Collier was impassable across the full back line and his rebound combined with Burdett and Darcy Scott gave Hutchens the opportunity to run to space, steady and kick a much-needed Willunga goal. Just before three-quarter time, Darcy Scott intercepted a Mudlarks’ defensive cross and moved the ball quickly to Standfield in space, twenty metres from goal. Unfortunately, the big fellow mishandled the ball and the Mudlarks kicked it out of the danger zone as the siren sounded.
Myponga-Sellicks outplayed Willunga in the last quarter but scored less than the Demons because of inaccurate kicking. They kicked 1 goal 5 behinds to Willunga’s 2 goals. It took until the ten-minute mark of the quarter for anyone to find the middle of the big sticks. Willunga’s captain, Fenton, nailed a long shot then Hutchens snaffled another from the goal square two minutes later. The home team seemed safe but the visitors ran the game out and applied great forward line pressure. Three times they were rewarded for strong tackles. Mayes was the only player to score a major from his free kick. When the final siren sounded, Willunga led by ten points but left the ground looking disappointed by their performance. Myponga-Sellicks, however, appeared exhilarated and must look forward with great confidence to next week’s game against Encounter Bay on Myponga oval.
Football Club closed Saturday June 5th - See you at Swell Brewing Co for our Club Night.
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