By Trevor Jackson
Glencoe 12.12 (84) d Nangwarry 10.9 (69)
It was a big day for the Nangwarry Football Club on Saturday, with the new clubrooms finally open to the public.
However, on the ground the Saints could not break their long-running losing streak, although they pushed Glencoe all the way.
It was certainly a danger game for the Murphies, with seven players missing due to a wedding.
As it panned out Nangwarry led by five points at the first break and looked up to the challenge.
The Murphies turned it around in the second term to take a tentative three-point advantage to the main break but it was the third quarter which separated the two sides, as Glencoe came out firing and added another five goals to open the margin.
The Saints could only find two goals and trailed by 23 points at the final break.
While Nangwarry outscored Glencoe in the final term, it was too little, too late and the Murphies celebrated a well-earned victory.
Tory Weaver kicked three goals for the victors, while Isaac Mulraney, Dane Paproth and Dylan Pfitzner contributed three each.
Winning coach Tom Edwards said it was a tough day at the office but would have been an entertaining game to watch from the sidelines.
“We were happy to get the win in the end,” he said.
“We knew it would be tough, they were opening their new club and had a bit to play for.
“One of our boys got married on the weekend so we had about seven blokes miss out.
“I was happy the boys were able to work hard and guts it out.”
Edwards said he was pleased with the players who came up from the Reserves to fill the vacant positions.
He said it showed good depth.
But it was the spread of goal kickers which helped gain the points, with seven individual scorers.
“With the couple we had out we had to move Henry Smith from full forward up the ground a bit, so it was good our forwards could get a couple of goals each,” Edwards said.
“It was pleasing to spread the load a bit and make sure we get goals from every avenue possible, not just the key forwards.”
After the tough opening term, Edwards said it was a matter of getting the game back on their terms.
He said it was a matter of simply being first to the ball and winning the contest.
The third term certainly broke the game open, whichEdwards said was testament to the players resolve.
“We put it on them at half time there was a brand of footy we wanted to play,” he said.
“Two weeks in a row I have been really happy with the boys’ responses after a couple of breaks to get the game back on our terms and get the win.”
Edwards said players such as Patrick Mitchell and Dylan Pfitzner were important in the whole equation, helping to quell the efforts of the Nangwarry forwards.
“Patrick and Dylan play that general role across half back and help the other boys out with matchups,” he said.
“The take a lot of intercept marks and really set us up from half back.
“It was pleasing to see them play well and stand up when it was needed.”
