COHUNA are back on the winners’ list as they have gone and defeated Gannawarra rivals Kerang in a convincing 53-point thumping.
With the 14.14 (98) to 6.9 (45) score, the Kangas remain in the top five along with showing the Central Murray Football Netball League that they are a side to be reckoned with.
The game started off as a low scoring contest, with Cohuna having an eight point lead by the end of the first quarter.
That was all to change, however, in the second quarter as the Kangas would punish the Blues and lead by 29 points when the half-time siren sounded at Cohuna Recreation Reserve.
Cohuna’s head coach, Jack Geary told The Guardian on Sunday that he wanted the boys to have good ball use, which was the key reason why they started to build up the lead in the second term.
“I insisted to the boys at quarter time to have good use of the footy along with retaining the footy,” Geary said.
“I always say, when the ball is in our hand, it’s not in their hands, sometimes offence is the best defence.
“For the start I think we were just a bit erratic with the footy, the boys are fresh, the speed is on, the heat is on.
“But by quarter-time we settled down, got into our groove and started to take the game home.”
The Kangas continued to take the game on in the third quarter, and had a comfortable 42 point lead with one final quarter to play.
Cohuna’s forward line had a field day in front of goal, particularly from Daniel Coates who bagged three on the day.
Geary had high praise for the big man who has been taking on a different position due to the Kangas’ injury list.
“He has been really good all year round, he is Mr Consistent really, because you know exactly what you are going to get from him,” Geary said.
“He works hard all day long. We’ve had him play in the midfield lately due to some injuries.
“But no matter where you put him, he is still going to have some form of effect on the game.”
Cohuna eventually finished off the game with a 53 point victory and all four points on the table.
Over in the Kerang camp, Brad Pay was at the helm as head coach for the Blues on the weekend, as head coach Paul Grayling couldn’t make it to the match for personal reasons.
Pay praised the way some of the younger boys played on the day, as he knew the young Kerang side would be going up against a finals bound team.
“We started quite well, we knew our pressure would have to be first class and with our young team that’s what we hang our hat on,” Pay said.
“Unfortunately, in the second quarter, our pressure wasn’t quite there.
“We weren’t clean with the footy and Cohuna’s class with older heads did some real damage in that second quarter which was the difference in the end.
“To our young boys’ credit, we got back on track and created some chances, they never threw in the towel.
“It’s all about continuing to build and teach. For 60 per cent of the game, we played the way we wanted against a top team.
“We will take some good teaching moments out of the contest and go again.”
Despite the tough contest for the Blues, Bohden McKnight played rather well particularly in front of goal, bagging two goals.
Pay praised him for the way he kept on pushing despite the score difference.
“Bohden McKnight has been fantastic so far this season, he really has set himself up over pre-season to have a big year ahead,” Pay said.
“He works tirelessly across centre half-forward, making contest after contest and really applying the pressure.
“He is only going to get better going forward this season.”
After a solid win, Geary was pleased with the Kangas for being victorious over their Gannawarra Shire rivals.
“They’ve had the wood over us for the past few years, so it’s good to be back on the winners’ list against Kerang,” Geary said.
“For the boys who’ve been with the Kangas for a while, it certainly means a lot for them, so very happy with the result.”
Cohuna will be on the road next week as they take on Lake Boga; Geary shared some insight on the upcoming clash.
“Just the usual preparations like always, prioritise on recovery then get ready to hit the training track,” he said.
“Hopefully we can bring in a few more numbers back in the lineup from injury.
“We will bring out a side that I’m confident that can get the job done against the Magpies this Saturday.”
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Cohuna | 2.5 | 8.6 | 12.7 | 14.14 | 98 |
| Kerang | 1.5 | 3.7 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 45 |
VOTES
3 – Daniel Coates (Cohuna)
2 – Christopher Anderson (Cohuna)
1 – Ricky Monti (Cohuna)
