The Courier |
EAST Point's giant-killing run continued on Saturday, as the Kangaroos dispatched of Darley on its home turf to keep their dream of a top three finish alive.
In a match filled with anticipation, with East Point coach Dan Jordan needing six goals to record his 100th for the season, it was an evenly fought first term with both sides exerting themselves physically on the contest.
The Devils kicked the first two goals of the game before East Point answered with the next two goals through Jordan and Chris Carson.
It looked like the game was over for the Roos' spearhead late in the first term after a particularly hard hit, but the playing coach recovered to address his players at quarter time, with Darley leading by a narrow five points.
The second term was won by the Devils, as their more notable names such as Jake Edwards, Darren Leonard and Dane Grenfell started to have a real influence on the contest.
The home side took a 31-point lead into the half-time break, with Jordan urging his players to return to the form that caused the upset of the season last week.
The third term seemed to have it all, as James Park slotted a goal within the first minute to keep the Kangaroos in the contest, however order was restored by Edwards and then Leonard, who goaled courtesy of a 50 metre penalty.
Jordan would keep his side in the contest with his third goal, also keeping alive his chances of cracking the ton by the end of the day, however Shane Page would goal soon after to keep the see sawing affair rolling.
What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary.
Hayden Walters, who was moved off Jake Edwards at half-time to have more influence on the contest, kicked four consecutive goals to bring his side within 13 points, and then Brent Fitzpatrick snapped truly to bring the margin within single figures.
The East Point onslaught didn't end there, with Walters kicking his fifth goal for the quarter and then Fitzpatrick kicking his second.
It was what Rod MacPherson and his Darley side didn't want to see, a 31-point half time lead expire at the blink of an eye, only to end with Darley trailing East Point by 14 points at three-quarter-time.
All eyes turned to Jordan in the last term as the spearhead forward needed just two goals to reach the 100-goal milestone in just 15 games of football.
He managed to achieve the feat halfway through the last quarter and was supported on the scoreboard by Jack Romeril and Chris Carson, as East Point kicked another four goals to register an impressive 30-point win.
After the match Dan Jordan emphasised how important beating sides above them was to the side's finals aspirations.
"It was a 60- or 70-point turnaround in the second half which was a fantastic effort," he said.
"We can't rely on the same guys anymore and everyone seems to be stepping up for us which is particularly pleasing.
"If you had of said to me at the start of the day that we would win by five goals I would be rapt".
Darley coach Rod MacPherson on the other hand was left to ponder the lost opportunity.
"It was our lowest tackle count for the year which was a disgrace," he said.
"There wasn't a great deal of ball supply for our forwards but the other side to that is that when the ball does come down there our forwards needed to be up and about, which they weren't.
"We knew we had to shut down their midfield which I spoke about before the game, and I thought we did up to half time. The second half we were really exposed with our lack of run and that really hurt us."
