Willunga played their best four-quarter footy of the season to beat Myponga on a sun-drenched Willunga oval. The win cemented their place in the top five. The game was played in good spirit which made the awarding of twelve 50-metre penalties hard for spectators to understand.
Altus dashed clear to kick Willunga’s first major before Hedger took a strong mark and equalised for the visitors. He looked dangerous throughout the first quarter but was denied opportunities because Bass controlled the centre square and brought the Willunga on-ballers into the game. Altus kicked his second then Haskett contested a forward pocket throw-in, grabbed the ball and snapped the home team’s third. The Demons peppered the big uprights but apart from a late goal, they kicked a series of behinds and allowed Myponga to stay in touch at quarter time.
The Mudlarks had the 2-goal breeze in the second quarter and pushed forward but the Willunga defence, led by Burdett and Alexopolous, defended stoutly. A late bump on Willunga’s Martin led to a scuffle, out of which his team mate McDonald was yellow-carded and the ball turned over. Myponga failed to capitalise from the 50-metre penalty. From the kick-in first Bass and then Portlock were awarded 50-metre penalties for Willunga. The result was a mark to Lee at forty-five and a skilfully executed goal. From the resulting centre bounce, Myponga was awarded a free kick and the umpires handed out yet another 50-metre penalty. Kennedy goaled. Willunga replied in triplicate. Renney and Haskett used strength and evasive skills to kick three goals in three minutes to take the game away from the visitors. Ogivie, Spinks and Thomson worked hard to stem Willunga’s momentum. Baillie broke free and gave to Clarke whose high up-and-under kick drifted through on the breeze. Bass then won a centre tap to Beath who ran free, delivered to Renney who kicked to the square. Miegel read the ball off hands and gave the home team a 7-goal lead going into halftime.
Willunga’s lead stretched to 8 goals five-minutes into the third quarter when Myponga gave away three consecutive 50-metre penalties which took Docking from centre-half back to the goal square. He couldn’t miss - and didn’t. The Mudlarks were unable to stifle Willunga’s fast-ball movement. Bass went forward to rest. He competed hard, won the ball and handballed to Lee who snapped truly. The Demons ran the ball from defence with a series of sharp handballs. Renney was on the receiving end and rewarded the up-field players’ efforts with a goal. Then Lee kicked another to give Willunga a match-winning 11-goal lead going into three-quarter time.
Myponga kicked with the wind in the last quarter but lost the quarter 6 goals to 2. Andrewartha gave James Hutchinson a chance and his smart kick split the middle. Kennedy, Bailie and Trevena worked hard but an undisciplined series of 50-metre penalties gifted James Collier his only goal for the day. Johnny Cook and Nelson showed class and courage for Willunga but another 50-metre penalty, this time to Myponga, allowed Spinks to goal. Willunga responded immediately. Altus passed to Haskett who kicked truly in a BOG performance. Cook ran onto a ball at centre-half forward, steadied, and kicked a long goal against the breeze. Nelson and Beath ran out of the centre using handballs and set up Miegel who converted. Portlock showed strength and class to win a hard ball on the wing, steadied then delivered to Altus who ran unchecked along the top wing to the 50-metre line. He kicked to an unguarded goal: the ball sailed through. With seconds remaining, Willunga again forced the ball forward. Miegel chipped it high into the danger zone where a pack rose. The ball fell to the side where Portlock took the crumb at full speed, dashed into the goal square and slammed it through a second before the final siren sounded. He raised his fists to the sky.
The coach’s classy goal topped off a great team performance by Willunga and set up a game-of-the-week tussle next Saturday against Encounter Bay. The winner will probably get the double-chance.
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