MELTON Central’s winless streak at Tony Clarke Reserve will reach a decade but the Blues did emerge with a draw at least in Riddell District Football League at the weekend.
Neither team could scramble a winning point in the dying stages as stoppage after stoppage was met by the final siren and scores were still level, Macedon 11.12 (78) to Melton Central 12.6 (78).
The Blues led by three points at the last change and were up by the same margin late in the quarter before two Macedon points and a rushed behind tied things up.
The result means Melton Central sits a game and a half outside the top six with 10 premiership points, behind Wallan (4-3, 16 points) in sixth.
“We needed a win for the morale but we walk away with points for the first time in nine years,” Central coach Brian Wheelahan said.
“It was stoppage after stoppage, every contest was one-on-one, and I’m sure it was a great last five minutes for the spectators. Not so much for me.”
Wheelahan said the main weakness in his team’s defeats this year was a lack of resistance when teams got a run of goals.
But after giving up a three-goal quarter-time lead to trail at the long break, Central fought back to the front in the third term.
“The improvement was significant, we were more accountable and, on probably the biggest ground in the comp, the boys worked their backsides off.
“When the opposition has kicked goals we’ve gone into our shell, and when (Macedon) kicked a couple in a row they could have gone on with it but we responded and dug deep.”
Wheelahan said teenager James Austin had acquitted himself well on the wing, while Josh Bamford was in career-best form.
Other better Blues were Matthew Martin and Josh Armstrong, while Macedon’s best were Josh Clough and match-high goalkicker Kris Preston who booted six.
Adam Fenton led Central’s goalkicking with three while Brett Payne and Paul Henderson were other multiple goalkickers.
Central will look to take all the positives from the Macedon result into its match against unbeaten Diggers Rest this weekend.
“We know they’re the benchmark and use the ball really well,” Wheelahan said. “I’ll be big on our players winning contested footy. We know their whole midfield is quite strong.”
