AND doubts about Darley being a Ballarat Football League premiership contender were dispelled on Saturday when the Devils crushed reigning premiers Sunbury Lions by 41 points.
Holding Sunbury to a single goal after half-time puts the Devils squarely back in the contenders bracket after proving their stirring win against Redan a fortnight earlier was not just a one-off.
Sunbury left Darley Park with key injuries and a wake-up call, with the door to second spot still ajar after the 12.12 (84) to 6.7 (43) result.
PICTURE GALLERY: Darley v Sunbury Lions
THE REACTION: Darley coach warns of premature celebrations
North Ballarat City (11-0, 48 points) has a two-game break on top from Sunbury (9-2, 40), with Redan (8-3, 36) and East Point (8-3, 36) ready to capitalise on any further slip-ups.
Fifth place is a misleading ladder position for the Devils (7-4, 32), given their consecutive wins against Redan and Sunbury and the lowest losing margin of any team at the hands of the unbeaten North Ballarat City.
Jake Edwards and Dane Grenfell were accurate in the heavy conditions early to give Darley the edge in a goal-for-goal first quarter.
Sunbury appeared to be getting the upper hand in the second term as a 100-metre penalty took the Lions end-to-end for a Simon Clarke goal. Scott Lobb kicked a running major of his own straight from the resulting centre bounce.
The double-strike put Sunbury up by seven, but the Darley players kept their heads to respond with a 40-metre set shot from Travis Minns.
A 15-minute scoreless slog followed before Darley landed crucial blows in time-on.
Grenfell intercepted a Mathew Medcraft handball to kick a goal then Darren Leonard put through a 50-metre set shot with less than a minute before the long break.
Casey Nance’s soccer goal put Darley 19 points up before passages of play that would rob Sunbury of two key men.
Dale Ciunik was carried off with a neck injury in the 13-minute mark, then Pat Carriss suffered a thigh injury in the first passage of play after the 10-minute delay for treatment of Ciunik.
Darley dominated the last 10 minutes of the 40-minute third quarter but could score only points, taking a lead of 18 to the last change.
But any chance of a Sunbury rally was ended two minutes into the final term when Tate Stone’s raking kick forward was marked with the flight and converted for a goal by Grenfell.
Mark Hanson lifted to kick two final-quarter goals, while Medcraft, one of Sunbury’s best, kicked a running goal late in the day to ensure his team avoided a goalless second half.
Stone was named Darley’s best along with Shane Page and Drew Edwards, while Shaun Deckert held Sunbury spearhead Clarke to a single goal.
Nathan Jackel turned in a typically hard-running and physical display.
