Gippsland Times | MAFFRA fell just short of pulling off a miraculous final quarter comeback to lose a spiteful contest by two points at Traralgon.
The Eagles kicked two shots on goal out on the full in the final minute to go down 9.16 (70) to 9.14 (68).
The loss dropped the Eagles from the top of the Gippsland League football ladder and looks likely to cost them a bye to begin the finals, with a rematch against the Maroons in the first week of September seemingly assured.
Having controlled the game for the best part of the first half, Traralgon should have been close to 10 goals in front at the long break with inaccuracy in front of goal the only thing preventing the contest from being over by half-time.
Sunshine and a blue sky allowed both sides to showcase their kicking skills early on, with the Maroons hitting the scoreboard first through a classy snap from Michael Burge.
Sharp shooter Darren Sheen read the flight of a long ball perfectly a minute later to provide the answer for Maffra, with his battle against athletic Traralgon defender Adrian Slottje one of the highlights of the day.
Traralgon's pressure throughout the first quarter led to a number of inside 50 entries, however its inability to convert entries into goals left the Maroons vulnerable on the scoreboard.
The Maroons' high pressure game left them wide open to Maffra's quick rebound when they turned the ball over, however the Eagles also struggled to make the most of their opportunities in the first quarter. After 10 minutes of end-to-end play, Andrew Petrou finally broke the deadlock and gave the Eagles the lead for the first time with the third major of the game.
After an intense beginning to the match, both sides started to play more freely towards the end of the term with Maffra having the best opportunities.
Continuing the storyline of the day, the Eagles failed to make the most of their opportunities when they had the momentum. A poor kick across half-back was intercepted by Burge, who dished it off to the running Hayden Britten for the Maroons second of the match.
Despite dominating the end of the first quarter and being on the receiving end of a number of soft 50 metre penalties, the Eagles found themselves trailing by three points at quarter-time.
A quarter-time rev-up from coach Mark Collison provided the spur for the Maroons after the first break. They kicked three straight behinds before midfielder Matt Northe got out the back and kicked a major from the goal square.
In total, the home side had 11 more scoring shots than their opponents in the second term but struggled to get reward for effort, kicking an inaccurate 5.9.
Traralgon's dominance began to get under the skin of the Eagles, with a number of their experienced campaigners giving away free kicks and looking more intent on roughing up their opponents than winning the football. But the Maroons' missed opportunities left the door open to a Maffra revival.
Sheen kicked Maffra's only goal of the term midway through the second quarter, with his side fortunate to be only 34 points a drift at the main break.
The third quarter was much like the first, with both sides having opportunities but neither being able to hit the scoreboard regularly.
In warm conditions, both sides began to get a little hot under the collar with scuffles breaking out regularly around the ground.
Traralgon's Michael Jacobsen was chosen from a pack of players to be yellow carded late in the term, leaving his side a man down for much of the final quarter. Maffra ruckman Trent Knobel and Traralgon's Slottje were lucky none of their full blooded swings connected or they may have been missing some football in the lead up to finals.
Still trailing by more than five goals at the start of the fourth quarter, the Eagles had no time to waste if they were to pull off a miraculous comeback.
Beginning the quarter with a free kick at the centre bounce as a result of Jacobsen's yellow card, the Eagles got to work in closing the gap. They kicked three quick majors to begin the final quarter to announce that it was well and truly game on.
However, despite dominating the possession, the Eagles seemed to have caught the yips which had troubled their opponents earlier with Sheen among those to miss kickable opportunities.
When Traralgon youngster Corey Stockdale goaled from a set shot at the 25-minute mark, it appeared to be game over.
There was a glimmer of hope for Maffra when Petrou goaled deep in time-on, but the with quarter appearing to be nearly over, it looked to be too little too late.
That was until Daniel Bedggood kicked a ridiculous goal from up against the fence to bring the margin to within a kick. Deep in time on, an historic victory was well and truly within grasp.
With the seconds ticking down, Petrou had what many assumed would be the very final chance to kick the match winner.
From a set shot the pressure seemed to get the better of the forward as he sprayed his shot out on the full. However the Eagles would have one more chance. From the kick-in the ball ended up in the hands of Danny Butcher who ran to 40m out from goal but also seemed to be affected by the pressure, failing to score from straight in front.
When the siren sounded not long later the home side was deservedly jubilant, but the Eagles will take a lot from the loss ahead of a likely finals rematch.
A disappointed Wayne Butcher told his side in no uncertain terms post-match a repeat of the result would not be accepted should they meet in a few week's time.
Northe, Michael Geary and Slottje were Traralgon's best, while Burge top-scored with three majors. For the Eagles, Danny Butcher ran hard around the ground all day, while Petrou's four goals led the way for his side.
With just two rounds remaining, both sides appear locked into their respective spots in second and third on the ladder. The locations for the first week of finals are still to be confirmed, but both coaches will have noted what did or didn't work on Saturday.
