Skipton has broken Carngham-Linton’s premiership run, taking out the 2009 RegionalOne Lexton Plains Football League grand final at Learmonth on Saturday.It was the Emus first flag since 2005, and fourth in the league.
And they did it with an exceptional third quarter of football.
Up to half time, Carngham-Linton played its game, not allowing Skipton any run of the ball.
Kicking into the wind in the opening term, the Saints led by a point at quarter time.
It was the first time for the year Skipton trailed at quarter time, with Carngham-Linton having a statistically better second term.
And that trend continued, with the Saints kicking five goals to three to have a 16 point advantage at half time.
While the half time entertainment was happening on the ground, behind doors both teams were plotting the second half.
Carngham-Linton was comfortable in its position, but knew more work had to be done.
Skipton knew it had to get back to basics and take the game on.
And what was to transpire was completely out of the blue.
Skipton played inspired football to quickly erase the deficit and put itself in a winning position, all in the space of 30 minutes.
Goals at one, two, four, six, nine and 11 minutes had the Emus 21 points up, and seemingly in total control.
It was a matter of whether the Saints could regain the momentum.
A goal at 12 minutes suggested maybe the Saints could mount the challenge they are famous for, but further Skipton goals at 15, 21, 25 and 27 minutes had the Emus 42 points up with one hand firmly on the cup.
If Carngham-Linton was to win, it was going to have to repeat what Skipton had just done, but it was not to be.
Skipton was not going to let this one slip, as it had promised much during the season and would have under achieved if it had failed Saturday.
Its forward line, which had proved on most occasions during the year to be unstoppable; had once again stood up to the test, with Kiernan Molloy kicking six goals, and Joel Riske booting five.
Molloy, Rod Kennedy, Riske and Damien Larkin played well.
Carngham-Linton did not get their forward line going, with two goals to Joel Kelly and Jarrod Burt.
Matt Stasse tried hard, as did Robbie Greenbank and Nick O’Brien.
The loss had snapped the run of three straight premierships for Carngham-Linton.
Nothing could be taken from Skipton, especially the cup, which it firmly had both hands on around 5.15pm Saturday night.
Goals: Skipton: Kiernan Molloy 6, Joel Riske 5, Danny George, Toby Boyle 2, Damien Larkin, Vaughn Dunstan 1.
Carngham-Linton: Joel Kelly, Jarrod Burt, Robbie Greenbank 2, Jake Pring, Damon Aspland, Jason Hill, Matt Stasse 1.
Best: Skipton: Kiernan Molloy, Rod Kennedy, Joel Riske, Damien Larkin, Vaughn Dunstan, Lachlan Wilkie.
Carngham-Linton: Matt Stasse, Robbie Greenbank, Joel Kelly, James Rayner, Nick O’Brien, Jason Hill.
OTHER GAMES
Rokewood-Corindhap claimed its sixth reserve premiership, with a 17 point win over Carngham-Linton, 10.5 (65) to 7.6 (48).
The Grasshoppers got the jump with the wind in the first term, and held sway for the remainder of the game.
The Grasshoppers scored only four goals after quarter time, but the damage had been done.
The Saints tried to hit back in the final term, but three goals were not enough.
Illabarook won their first football premiership, with a 78 point thrashing of Carngham-Linton in the under 17’s.
The Saints would have been happy at quarter time being a goal up, but any smile would have been quickly wiped off in the second quarter, after the Bulldogs took a good lead into half time.
They did not let up in the third, and ran right away in the last.
Final scores were 16.7 (103) to 3.7 (25).
Skipton won its first of two flags, when it narrowly beat Navarre in the under 14’s.
The five point win was reflective of the game, as Skipton led all day, but the Grasshoppers twice lifted to get within striking distance.
Skipton let itself down with inaccurate kicking in the second term, but Navarre did the same in the final period.
The 7.11 (53) to 7.6 (48) win is the Emus first under 14 premiership.
Carngham-Linton won their second under 12 grand final, beating Skipton by 22 points 3.5 (23) to 0.1 (1).
They also won the inaugural year last year.
By Rhys Brehaut
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