The Courier |
AS far as rivalries go, the cross-town Darley and Bacchus Marsh one would have to be one of the fiercest around.
BACCHUS MARSH 8.6 (54)
DARLEY 17.13 (115)
So there were no surprises that there was more than just the four points at stake at Darley Park on
Saturday.
After both teams kicked five goals apiece in the first half, it wasn't until Darley was able to control the tempo late in the third quarter and into the last quarter that the Devils showed their class and kicked away to record a convincing 17.13 (115) to 8.6 (54) victory.
Darley Coach Rod McPherson, although not impressed with his team's performance across the four quarters, was happy to get the four points and move on to next week.
"We could not get our loose numbers to the contest and make an impact. They controlled the tempo of the game and our ball use was not intelligent. But, to our credit, we dug ourselves out of a hole and were able to play some better footy late in the game," he said.
Although the scoreboard indicated Darley started the game well, kicking the first five goals in the
first quarter, it was a sloppy start.
Bacchus Marsh did a good job of containing Darley from posting a big score with the wind and the Cobras were then able to work themselves back into the game in the second quarter, also kicking five unanswered goals to trail by three points at half-time.
The third term followed the pattern of the game, with Darley kicking another five unanswered goals with the wind and looking to be moving the ball more assuredly.
As a result, the Devils had a 37-point three-quarter time lead.
The Devils again were a new side in the final term as they controlled every aspect of the game.
They moved the ball with precision and controlled the ball through the centre.
When Brad Inglis ran in and kicked the first goal of the last quarter and the first one against the wind for the day, it set the tone for the Devils who went on to kick a further six goals.
Dane Grenfell and Jake Edwards proved difficult to handle up forward, while Tyson Shea was again outstanding for Bacchus Marsh, while Brad Inglis was clearly the best for Darley in its 61-point victory.
