Two Blues Return to the Top Four
Seniors:
The game was far from pretty but Prahran Assumption banked four precious premiership points in a hard- fought win over MHSOB at Toorak Park on Saturday.
The 32 point win vaulted the Two Blues from sixth to third place on the VAFA Division 1 ladder after 10 rounds.
How permanent that third berth is will be decided next Saturday when Prahran Assumption ventures to Whitefriars to play the fifth placed team who comfortably won the first round clash between the teams.
Coach Ash Mills frankly summed up the task facing the Two Blues.
“Whitefriars tackled better and were more disciplined than us.’’
Just four points separates third and eighth placed Bulleen Templestowe on a congested ladder so every win is vital in the countdown to the finals.
But Mills was rightly reserved in his appraisal of Saturday’s 13-7 (85) to 7-11 (53) win.
“Today was an ugly win, but we’ve banked four points and the positive was we outran them.’’
Indeed the running power of tireless ruckman Nathan Davey and on ballers Ed Macdonald and Matt Wall was telling in the second half.
Macdonald played an effective blanketing role in the first half and as the game progressed collected possessions at will.
And the grunt work from fellow on ballers Paul Donahoo and Daniel Anglin was typically industrious.
This was never going to be an easy win for the Two Blues as MHSOB is fighting to stave off relegation.
In fact a four point half-time lead flattered the Two Blues who continually fumbled and missed targets.
The comedy of errors continued early in the third quarter until David Quirk goaled at the 10 minute mark.
Successive unanswered goals to Adam Sleight, Peter Cristoforo and John Robbins in the next eight minutes broke the game open.
But just as the game seemed safe there was more drama when forward Pat Harris was red carded for attempting to strike a MHSOB opponent.
This meant the Two Blues had to play the next 15 minutes one man short.
Two late quarter goals from MHSOB kept the game alive.
MHSOB missed two golden chances for early last quarter goals before goals to Sleight, Davey and Daniel Anglin in the space of four minutes iced the game.
Among the positives from the match was the sound first senior appearance of centre half-back ‘Scuba’
McIntyre after an overseas sojourn and the energetic form of small forward Tim Maya.
PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION 4-2 6-5 10-6 13-7 (85)
MHSOB 3-3 5-7 7-8 7-11 (53)
Goals: Maya, Robbins, Cristoforo, Sleight, Quirk 2, Davey, Hall, Anglin.
Best: Macdonald, McIntyre, Wall, Donahoo, Pascoe, Maya.
Reserves:
The first two goals of the game to Prahran Assumption proved a false dawn as the Two Blues faded to give MHSOB a resounding 43 point win.
The Two Blues found goals hard to come by despite winning plenty of the ball.
PRAHRAN ASSUMPTION 2-1 4-3 5-6 6-9 (45)
MHSOB 2-5 6-6 10-9 13-10 (88)
Goals: Candiloro, Ellis 2, O'Hare, Macqueen.
Best: Laverty, Webb, Burton, Haynes, Macqueen, Radywonik.