James Murphy
Mount Burr 8.12 (60) d Port MacDonnell 9.5 (59)
Mount Burr’s winning ways continued when the Mozzies clinched a one-point win in a thriller at the Bay.
Port MacDonnell hosted the Round 13 clash with the confidence of a win in their last meeting.
However, the Mozzies have since overcome their slow start to the season and after Saturday’s result, hold a seven-game winning streak.
Despite some early rain, they were first out of the gate and wasted no time finding the big sticks.
Entering the first change Mount Burr led five goals to three.
“I was happy with the start,” Mount Burr coach Reece Duncan said.
“Dylan Ridley was everywhere and he turned it on early and played a good game.
“He was pretty heavily involved with a lot of our work in the first 10 minutes.
“That good start and pressure was something we talked about during the week – it was great to see the guys put it all together.”
Port MacDonnell managed to reel in the margin by half time and added two majors, while restricting the Mozzies to four behinds.
With five points the difference, the game remained to be won heading into the main break.
Both teams came out firing in the third quarter but heading into the final stanza the visitors held a handy 11-point lead.
The Demons surged again to hold the Mozzies goalless in the fourth, but they were able to hold steady to claim the win by the slimmest of margins.
Joshua Murphy was the standout for the victors, with his tireless work in the ruck earning him best on ground.
“He just battled away,” Duncan said.
“For a big guy those conditions weren’t overly friendly, but we just put it to him that we needed him to keep battling against Tim Sullivan.
“It was a reward for effort – he battled all day.”
Josh Fiebig was also impressive, while Ridley earned a mention for his work in the forward line, where he top scored for the Mozzies with three goals.
Hamish Smith bagged multiples as well with two majors.
For the Demons it was Brandon Newton who was the highlight, with his usual never-say-die efforts.
Coach Simon Merrett and the ever-reliable Kev Thomson bagged two goals each, while Mark Smith, Ned Wilke and Tim Sullivan were also among the top performers.
Looking forward and the race for finals is heating up and there is still room for movement in the top four.
“I think we all understand we have a task ahead of us if we want to make finals and get ourselves within a shot of having some success,” Duncan said.
“To be able to get these results coming our way it is a good thing for the confidence, but we still understand there is more work to do.”
Following this week’s bye, a meeting with Kalangadoo in Round 14 looms large for Mount Burr, while the Demons will look to bounce back in a big way against Nangwarry.
