A THUMPING 56-point win over Romsey has given Riddell two games of breathing space atop the Riddell District Football League ladder.
The Bombers remain undefeated with 12 wins, while their nearest rival, Diggers Rest, had a shock loss to Lancefield.
Romsey is still well in the title race despite the loss, with six or seven senior players to return after the Redbacks’ bye this weekend.
The Bombers set up the win much as they did against Sunbury the previous week, with a big second term. Aaron Blade started the onslaught with a goal in the first 15 seconds, and James Nolan did as he pleased with five first-half goals.
Haydn Ross, Ethan Foreman, Anthony Sammut and Cameron Casson were getting plenty of the ball for Riddell as they streamed to a 56-point lead at the term’s 21-minute mark. A late goal for Matthew Davidson was the Redbacks’ only consolation.
But the Redbacks lifted their game in the third term, kicking the first three goals to cut the lead to 30 points as the rain began to set in.
Anthony Trigg and Chris Petroro, who was stretchered off the ground a week earlier with a knee injury, were the architects of the mini-revival, though Riddell managed to stem the flow towards the end of the term.
The final quarter saw Riddell kick the only three goals to run out comfortable winners. Coach Troy Scoble said his team was impressive against quality opponents.
“We’ve got this run of Sunbury-Romsey-Diggers Rest which is sort of like a mini-finals series,” he said. “We have to back it up week in week out. We came into the game today with a pretty clear game plan and I thought we followed that for three quarters pretty well.
“Defence is what we’re trying to build the side upon so we were happy to hold them to six goals. The defensive mindset is always the hardest one to get into the players.”
Around the grounds, Sunbury Kangaroos held Kilmore scoreless to half-time in a 99-point win at Eric Boardman Reserve.
Phil Kaufmann kicked five for Sunbury and Leigh Fishenden three as the Kangaroos dominated the game from start to finish.
Woodend-Hesket put in one of its best performances of the season in a 34-point loss to Broadford. Barry Hall booted 12 for the Roos but the Hawks were right in it until the last quarter. They trailed by just five points at the final break but were comfortably outscored in the last.
Macedon’s finals hopes were dented with a 36-point loss to Wallan.
