SENIORS – LUCINDALE 11.13 (79) d PENOLA 10.6 (68)
A TWO-QUARTER lapse is all it took for Penola to lose its third straight A-Grade football match on Saturday.
The Eagles travelled to Lucindale for the round 11 Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara clash, but were behind the eight-ball early and unable to bridge the gap late in the game.
However, a big start to the final term saw the Eagles kick five straight goals to be within a point.
They limited Lucindale’s impact, but the Roos lifted again and sealed the game.
The 30-point deficit at the final break was simply too much to overcome, with the final result seeing just 11 points separate the two sides in a disappointing finish for the Eagles.
Spearhead forward Brad Merrett was absent, but Adam Merrett was back to his best up forward, with six goals – three of those late in the game – to give the side a sniff of hope.
The remaining four goals came via singles from Brock Egan, Scott Merrett, Dylan Walker and Jason Nysten.
It was a far cry from the round one thrashing handed out by Penola.
Coach Matt Tilby said it was not a bad start from his players, but they struggled to apply scoreboard pressure.
“There were signs of improvement from the previous week which was good,” he said.
“We struggled to get some conversion on the scoreboard early from the amount of ball we had which built the pressure a bit.
“They got on top of us early with their scoreboard pressure.”
Some of that scoreboard pressure came from Lucindale forward Tom Logan.
Tilby made a change to try to slow the spearhead down and it appeared to work.
“We made a couple of changes and Daniel Hackwill went and played on Logan,” he said.
“He did a fantastic job.
“Hackwill has played just about every position on the field this year.
“I tend to thrown him around a bit – he is a bit of a utility – but his job was fantastic.”
While the game started as an even contest, the middle two quarters were all Lucindale, as the Roos kicked away to a handy 22-point advantage at the long break.
They went on with it in the third term to open the margin to 30 points and the Eagles were unable to counter, with just three major scores in those two terms, compared to six from the hosts.
The final term saw a spirited Eagles fight to the end, but it was too big a task and Penola had to settle for another loss.
“We went out in the last quarter and the guys had a real crack,” Tilby said.
“We kicked five goals in the first 12 minutes and got within a point.
“Then Lucindale came again and kicked a couple of goals to finish us off.”
Despite the end result Tilby said there were positives to take from the game.
“There were some pleasing signs,” he said.
“We are on the right path.
“We probably did not play as well as we would like and still had the chance to win.
“The previous two losses we never really had the chance to win the game.
“I think we had good improvement in tackling and contested football, so we are looking forward to the challenge of Kingston this week.”
While Hackwill and Merrett both performed well in their respective roles, Tilby said Brad Bryant was a big standout.
“Brad Bryant played an absolute blinder,” he said.
“It was one of the greatest individual efforts I have seen.
“His overhead marking, attack on the footy and skills were next level on Saturday.”
Tilby also made mention of youngster Harry Porter, who has come through the Penola system and continues to improve.
He had a big job on Saturday to curtail the efforts of Sam Mardling and according to Tilby did the job to perfection.
“Harry Porter was sensational again,” he said.
“He is just so disciplined with his actions and maturity.
“He is a big part of what we are doing at the moment and going forward as a footy club.
“He has such a good attitude and lives and breathes his footy.”
Tilby said it was frustrating at times watching from the sidelines, but said that was typical for a coach in any game.
However, he said the players have owned the responsibility for the result.
“You have to make sure as a collective you are not blaming each other, that everyone is taking responsibility for their own actions,” he said.
“I think we are fortunate we have a good tight group and we are all going through it together.
“When you go through these down times you appreciate the good times and I am certain those good times are just around the corner.”
RESERVES – PENOLA 9.11 (65) d LUCINDALE 4.5 (29)
WHILE Penola’s A Grade football side suffered its third consecutive loss on Saturday, the Eagles’ Reserves kept their undefeated status in tact with a comfortable win over Lucindale.
Played in Lucindale, hosts were off to a solid start and led by 14 points at the first change.
However, the Eagles hit back in the second term with four unanswered goals to hold a 13-point advantage heading into the main break.
From there the guests continued to extend the margin, scoring two goals in both the third and fourth
quarters.
The Roos managed a single major in the “premiership quarter”, but a scoreless final term resulted in a deficit of 36 points at the end of the day.
Penola shared the goals around with Simon Zadow, Simon Merrett and Allan McIntyre all bagging two each, while James Foggo, Jonathon Copping and Lewis March scored singles.
Zadow’s efforts had him awarded the best-on-ground honours for the match.
He was joined by Jesse Martin, Will Clayfield, Copping, Foggo and Tom Moore among the best players.
This week will see the Eagles host fourth-placed Kingston in round 12 of Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara football.
The Saints will be eager to end Penola’s undefeated run, while the Eagles will look to prove why they are perched on top of the premiership standings.
JUNIOR COLTS – PENOLA 7.2 (44) d PADTHAWAY LUCINDALE 3.1 (19)
PENOLA’S Junior Colts recorded a solid win on the road in round 11 of Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara football on Saturday.
Up against a win-less Padthaway Lucindale, the Eagles soared to an eventual 25-point victory to solidify their place in fourth position on the ladder.
A low-scoring first quarter put Penola up by eight points at the first break, while the hosts were unable to hit the scoreboard.
They found the big sticks in the second term, but the Eagles stacked on three goals to extend their lead.
It was a tight affair from there, with the Eagles managing to stretch the margin to 25 points by the final siren
Brock Summerhayes carried form into the clash and had a day out in front of goals, banging through four majors.
But it was the performance from Anders McShane which received the top honours, with the youngster named as best-on-ground for his two-goal haul and solid efforts.
Finn Skeer also scored a goal, while Lochlan Neale was named second best.
Summerhayes also received a mention, with Thomas Currie, Tom Moorhouse and Cooper Gartner rounding out the best players.
A meeting with sixth-placed Kingston should provide a challenge for the Eagles this week, but the home ground will play to the Eagles’ advantage.
