COUNTRY football was alive and kicking at Cohuna on Saturday, with a bumper
crowd paying a touch over $6000 at the gate to see the two undefeated sides
battle it out for top spot.
The big crowd would not be disappointed as the
margin was never more than two goals the difference all day.
Ruckman Troy
Kelm was a big inclusion for the Blues, who lost Luke Livingstone from last
week.
The Kangas had Drew Bartram and Josh Martyn back and spearhead Brett
Collins overcame a minor injury from the big win over Balranald.
A highlight
in the game would be the clash between Kelm and Christian Bock in the ruck, and
it was Bock to get the first hit out to advantage to find Scambler who found
Collins on the lead to post the Kangas first from 40m out in the first minute.
It was then Kelm to get the next clearance to advantage to find Greg Dickson
who replied immediately for the Blues.
If supporters of both sides thought
that this was going to be a high scoring affair well this would be far from the
truth.
Both coaches elected to run with loose men in defence and with this
set up a real battle between the two 50m arcs ensued.
Short passing was
required to break the zone defences but on most occasions when the long kick
went into the forward lines defenders out-numbered the forwards to win the
contest.
Troy Thamm was in an unaccustomed role in defence and Kelm was good
at cutting off Kangas forward thrusts.
Keiran Treacy was good for the home
side as was Will Lee, with Luke Cotchett and Josh Bray in form for the
Blues.Cohuna went into the second quarter with a two point lead and it was
the home side which had most of the play but failed to capitalise. Blues best Cotchett goaled early as did Dickson later but both sides again
struggled with the loose man in defence.
After four behinds from Collins, he
received a late tackle on 50m and kicked truly.
Blue Tom Brownbridge was
playing tight on Collins but a pinpoint pass from Luke Eldridge found him and he
kicked truly to bring up his third.
Kangas seemed to have the momentum but
were wasteful with their passing.
The Blues likewise were falling down with
their short game as the battle of the defences continued.
Kanga James
Scambler then goaled from long range to create the biggest margin of the match.
Cotchett, Troy Coates and Ryan Gillingham were good for the Blues as were
Treacy, Clayton Holmes, Luke Dunham and Brendan Jay for the home side.
Both
sides were rotating the benches heavily as the warm weather was taking its toll.
The Kangas took in a half time lead of 10 points.
Thamm was moved forward
to start the third quarter as both coaches persisted with the loose man in
defence.
After a run of behinds by both sides it was the Blues who were able
to break down the Kangas defence best through Jesse Clark, Cotchett and Mark
Walter.
The latter was taking the ruck duties with Kelm able to float around
the front of the Kangas forward line thwarting the home side’s forward moves.
A pack mark and goal to Thamm followed by goals to Dickson and Kiel
Robertson and the Blues had all the momentum.
The stakes really lifted for
the last bit of the third as the Kangas defence held firm led by the evergreen
Treacy, Dunham and Jay who was keeping key Blues forward Andrew McDonald in
check.
A very vocal home crowd were trying to lift their charges as every
contest stepped up a notch.
The Kangas failed to kick a goal for the quarter
but brought up five behinds.
The Blues flooding defence was well organised
and were able to repel any Kangas attacks with deft run and short passing to
break lines.
But the Kangas defence who had stood strong all day would once
again stand up.
Weary players were looking for the three-quarter-time siren
as Blues coach Troy Coates couldn’t get past a spectacular goal line save from
Treacy from 30m out.
The visitors took a seven point lead into the last
quarter.
Kangas coach Shannon Keam asked his senior players to lift and give
him 30 minutes of committed football.
He praised the work of his younger
brigade and stated that the Blues, undefeated for over 12 months, “can be
beaten”.
Coates asked his charges to keep to their structures and asked his
players who were challenged for the first time for a long time to give their
best for a final 30 minutes.
Composure would be required, as would correct
decision making.
Both sides went without the loose man for the start of the
last quarter but this did not stop both defences still being on top.
The arm
wrestle continued and it was the Kangas to bring up the first goal of the final
term through Jade Keam who hung onto a scrambled kick forward to mark and goal
from 30 out.
Desperate play continued between the two 50m arcs and it was the
Blues to hit back through Clark after a high tackle to goal.
Then the Kangas
through a Regan Williams intercept found Patterson who ran into an open goal for
the Kangas to hit back.
Uncontested possessions were scarce as there were
one-on-one duels occurring all over the ground.
It was an unmarked Daniel
Coates for the Kangas to lay off to Scambler to bomb a 50m goal to put the
Kangas five points up.
Possibly neither side deserved to lose from here, but
it was the Blues through Thamm who got back in front.
An inspiring four
bounces from Holmes out of defence with a long kick found Eldridge 30 out but
his high pressure set shot was off target.
The large crowd were on the edge
of their seats as desperation from both teams reaped applause from their
respective supporters.
Troy Coates was inspirational for his team in the
final 10 minutes winning contested possessions down back as were youngsters
Thomas Toma and Lee for the Kangas.
The Kangas were to have the last play of
the game with a string of passes finding Josh Novoselek who had two bounces to
go inside 50m, only to see his kick agonisingly bounce away from an unguarded
goal line moments before the final siren.
Both camps would’ve gone away happy
with their team’s efforts as it was the Blues who were challenged for the first
time in many games and were able to respond to the Kangas desperation.
Final score: Kerang 57 defeated Cohuna 54.
See Monday’s edition of The Guardian (13/5/13) for all the Central Murray results and other A Grade match reports.
