Belief brings Two Blues home

BELIEF is an elusive yet powerful ingredient in all successful sporting teams.
Exhibit A was on show by Prahran in VAFA Division 1 on Saturday.
Trailing Therry Penola by 20 points at three quarter-time in enemy territory, only the true believers would have dared script what was the follow.
Until then the Two Blues looked listless, were dominated at the clearances, made mistakes galore and generally had been outplayed by a fierce tackling Therry Penola. which, to be fair, should have been further ahead.
But somehow, while supporters feared this was to be another lost Saturday at the scene of the Two Blues ‘Bermuda Triangle’, the players had belief.
A soaring mark 20 metres out and goal from Shaun Chapman in the first two minutes set the tone.
Co captains Rory Brodie and James Musster led the way and their teammates surfed along on the wave of momentum.
Brodie, Musster, then Brodie again goaled on the run and after 13 minutes the Two Blues had hit the front.
Brodie took a ‘party trick ‘ one hand mark then goal and when Jon Simonetta goaled at the 19 minutes it was six goals on the bounce and game over.
Matthew Clifford, moved into defence for the last term, marshalled the backline which provided the spring board to a grateful forward line which finally received some silver service delivery.
The last quarter scoreline showed Prahran 8-2 to Therry Penola 0-2.!
No wonder coach Brett Dickinson described this as a ‘real win.’
Indeed as Dickinson told his troops, this was a finals type win.
The hosts were playing for a finals spot and maybe sub consciously thought they had done enough by three quarter-time.
But as their desperate pressure game fell away and the Two Blues seemingly grew wings Therry Penola folded under the onslaught.
A feature of the Two Blues run of eight successive wins have been their powerhouse finishes, out running their rivals.
Second place and the double chance is a possibility in the last round given the Two Blues can defeat bottom of the ladder Ivanhoe and top of the ladder Glen Eira downs second placed Oakleigh.

PRAHRAN 2-3 4-5 5-7 13-9 (87)
THERRY PENOLA 3-1 4-5 8-9 8-11 (59)

Goals:J. Simonetta 4, R. Brodie 3, T. Seaman, E. Espinosa, S. Chapman, J. Musster, M. Clifford, T. Maya

Best :J. Musster, R. Brodie, Z. Podmore, S. Chapman, J. Simonetta, R. Hogan.

RESERVES

PRAHRAN 12-8 (80)

THERRY PENOLA 5-11 (41)

ANOTHER dominant win but finals are now out of play.

Goals: D. Marrows 3, B. Dickinson 3, P. Pavlou 2, A. Perez 2, N. Martin, M. Woods

Best :J. Panagiotaros, N. Kellock, J. Partridge, B. Dickinson, P. Rhodes, A. Perez