WONTHAGGI Power hung tough when the visiting Traralgon side surged into the lead by half time at Wonthaggi on Saturday and then turned on the afterburners to boot a match-winning five goals to nil in the third quarter.
It was a character-building victory as the Maroons continued to come at Wonthaggi, with the wind in the last quarter, but ultimately, they did more than enough to earn a glorious two-goal victory at the end.
While the win over second-placed Traralgon was a necessity, given Wonthaggi’s precarious position on the ladder, they got some very good news in the rooms afterwards when the scores came through from the Maffra versus Morwell game.
Last-placed Maffra had come from behind to snatch a three-point victory over the fourth-placed Tigers at home, leaving them just half-a-game ahead of Wonthaggi. Sale won too and are sitting one game ahead of Power.
With Morwell facing Leongatha at Parrot Park next Saturday and Wonthaggi away to Maffra, they might even find themselves in the five next week.
But as the Eagles proved, it doesn’t pay to count your chickens.
Match report
Traralgon looked to be taking control, kicking with the wind to the swimming pool end of the Wonthaggi oval in the second quarter and a long bomb for a bouncing goal by busy forward Harvey Neocleous was reward for effort as the match closed in on half time.
In fact, it had been Neocleous who opened the visiting Maroons’ account at the 3-minute mark of the first quarter, with a swinging kick on the breeze, after Blake Cornelis had missed a soda at the other end in the first minute, after receiving silver service from his coach Jarryd Blair.
It was some time before the Power could answer despite kicking with the wind in the first quarter.
Shannon Bray was contesting strongly against Traralgon rucking specialist Max Jacobson, trying to take the front position but early on at least, the Maroons’ onballers were getting the takeaways and they had the next close-in shot at goal, missed into the wind by Josh Hamilton.
Finally, though, Josh Bates won a free kick near the forward 50 and found Cooper McInnes who took a juggling mark before going back to kick the goal Wonthaggi needed at the 12-minute mark.
Two minutes later, Kaj Patterson followed up on a scrambled kick forward, to receive from Mitch Hayes, who had forced his way through the pack of players close to goal, picked up the loose ball and snapped through a beauty. The Power was in front which they needed to be with the wind advantage.
At the centre bounces, Traralgon’s four including Jacobsen, Ambler, D’Angelo and Willaton appeared to have the edge over Bray, Lindsay, Jack Blair and Patterson, with a couple of other players floating through there for Power.
But when Wonthaggi did get the rebound off half back, from the likes of Jacob Thomas, Jye Gilmour, Josh Bates, Isaac Chugg and others, Wonthaggi’s forwards applied commendable forward pressure to keep it in the scoring zone.
Connor and Tom Macmillan helped form the barrier across half forward for Wonthaggi and the Power produced a few chances that way through Chugg, whose long shot just fell short, and Bray whose snap off the pack was rushed through.
There were to be no more goals for the first quarter, a win for Traralgon against the wind.
Wonthaggi got the first goal after the restart, Jarryd Blair combining with brother Jack for the score in the first few minutes but Traralgon took control from then on, scoring three and having the momentum going into the long break.
Traralgon took back the lead when burly forward Dylan Loprese took a contested mark 15 metres out.
The Power defence was working overtime and the forwards were flooding back to help where an excellent tackle by Noah Anderson went unrewarded.
Traralgon scored a couple more goals from lots of opportunities to lead by eight points at half time in a low-scoring affair.
After half time, however, it was all Wonthaggi in the ‘premiership quarter’ with the Power’s onballers taking over and Cooper McInnes providing a great target up forward.
He hooked up with Jarryd Blair for the first, Noah Anderson got the next from the angle and then McInnes marked a quick kick from the stoppage by Shannon Bray, working overtime in the ruck.
Then, in the team goal of the day; Jack Blair, Josh Bates and Kaj Patterson combined to get the ball over to Jye Gilmore who had looped forward from the original possession. Urged on by his team mates to have a shot, with the wind, from beyond 50, his kick sailed through for the match-winner.
Later in the quarter, Jack Blair also bombed one home as Wonthaggi took a four-goal lead going into the last break.
It proved to be enough in a low-scoring affair but only thanks to a full-court-press defence which restricted Traralgon’s scoring chances.
It was a great win to which everyone contributed including Connor and Thomas McMillan, making their debuts and both still eligible for the Under 16s.
Final scores: Wonthaggi 8.5.53 defeated Traralgon 6.6.42.
