The Cohuna Kangas recorded win number eight on Saturday with a hard fought 42-point win over a gallant Lake Boga.
The Kangas were made to work overtime in the first 90 minutes, with the Magpies equal to every challenge thrown at them; before Cohuna turned it on in with five unanswered goals after three quarter time to eventually run out 14.15.99 to 8.9.57 winners.
Led by Tom Toma and Jackson Williams, the class and finishing skills of the visitors proved to be the difference between both teams in what proved to be a highly entertaining game.
Both sides went into the match missing key players.
Cohuna were without onballers Tyson Findlay and Joel Helman, along with Tyler Jones; while Boga had their number one midfielder in Matt Filo on the sidelines with a knee injury.
The home side were up to the challenge right from the opening minutes, with the Magpies pressure around the ground and attack on the footy seeing them break even in contested ball.
What was letting them down throughout the early stages though were basic skill errors and an inability to shut down the Kangas running game.
Cohuna were often allowed to easily run the ball out of their defensive half, while at the other end, the Lake Boga defence gave key forwards Rhys Free and Dylan Johnstone too much space with which to impact the contest.
Wes Harrison was finding plenty of the ball deep in the back line for the Pies’, while John Harvey and Cam Johnson were also busy early.
A margin of 22-points at the main break was a good indication of where the game sat after the first half, with both teams at times wasting their opportunities in front of goal.
Dylan Johnstone opened proceedings three minutes after half time with his second goal of the day, but from that moment on it was all Lake Boga.
The home side purely and simply out worked their more fancied rivals, as they hunted the Kangas every time they gained possession.
Goals to Cody Mirtschin, Jacob Murley, Oli Rohde and Jayden Lonergan saw the Magpies peg the margin back to just eleven points at the final change, with Angus Monfries creating constant havoc deep in attack for Boga.
The problem for Pies’ though was that as good as they were playing when the game was in close, Cohuna looked equally as dangerous when they were allowed to find space and hit up free targets; and this would prove to be the Magpies downfall come the last quarter.
As good teams do, the Kangas took control when the game was on the line, with Toma, Williams, Jack Dehne and Daniel Coates all doing as they wished in the final term. Yellow cards to Matthew Crooks and Lonergan fifteen minutes into the final quarter sapped any chance of a Lake Boga comeback, although in truth the game was already long gone by then.
While not among their most polished performances this season, the Kangas would be happy to just bank the four points and move onto next week.
For the Magpies, if they can replicate that effort and commitment on a weekly basis, then they may well put a few more notches in the win column before the season is out.
VOTES
3 – Tom Toma (Cohuna Kangas)
2 – Jackson Williams (Cohuna Kangas)
1 – Wes Harrison (Lake Boga)
