A PURPLE patch in the second quarter paved the way for Melton South to defeat Bacchus Marsh at Melton Recreation Reserve in Ballarat Football League on Saturday.
The Panthers reeled off five unanswered goals on the way to a 15.10 (100) to 8.13 (61) victory over the Cobras.
That squared Melton South at two wins and two losses from four starts this season.
Click on the image below for our picture gallery of the big game.
“It was a gutsy team effort from the players,” Melton South coach Shane Geddes said. “We’re happy to square the win-loss ledger going into what is effectively a double bye for us.”
Melton South started the game without key playmakers Doug Thomas and Shaun White. By the final siren they were reduced by injury to 17 players.
With winners on every line the Panthers dominated the contests up forward and led by a tidy 31 points at half time.
In particular, Bacchus Marsh had no answer to the inside 50 superiority of Melton South forwards Rex Hickman, and league-leading goalkicker Mathew Sutton, until Bacchus Marsh coach Dave Callander swung big men James Dickinson and Pasi Schwalger into defensive match-ups.
While the tactic worked – Melton South kicked a mere three goals for the quarter – it meant there were no genuine targets for the Cobras inside their forward 50.
To make matters worse, the Cobras’ trademark running game was only chugging along in second gear due to Melton South’s ability to play its small ground to perfection. The margin was a comfortable 56 point at three-quarter time.
Bacchus Marsh finally clicked into top gear in the final quarter, producing 11 scoring shots while limiting Melton South to four.
Luckily for the Panthers, three of their shots were goals, while Bacchus Marsh could muster only the same despite having nearly three times as many chances.
Bacchus Marsh coach Dave Callander expressed his disappointment in his players by describing their performance against Melton South as tokenistic.
He predicted a big week on the training track for his youthful Cobra outfit in preparation for next week’s home game against top of the ladder Sunbury.
In its match against East Point, Melton trailed by just a point at quarter time.
But three goals to 11 following the first change let East Point off the chain and it won by 61 points.
The Bloods tried to use pace to their advantage and at times had the speed to trouble East Point in transition.
But five multiple goalkickers for East Point proved too many spotfires to smother as the home team kicked away with the contest.
Melton is on a three-game losing streak after winning in round one, down to ninth on the ladder.
– Ballarat Courier
