Six wins in a row for Two Blues

WE have all heard the footy term, a game of two halves.

Rarely was there a better example than at Lucas Reserve on Saturday when underdog Preston Bullants, trounced by the Two Blues earlier in the season by 100 plus points, challenged in-form Prahran aiming for its sixth successive win.

The visitors put a lie to the assumption this was to be a 'walk in the park'.

Their pressure rating was through the roof in the first half causing a catalogue of errors from Prahran which also inflicted wayward goal kicking on itself.

The Bullants led by seven points early in the second term, scores were level on four occasions, with Prahran holding an unconvincing 7 points half time lead.

What followed was hard to believe.

The Two Blues switched into overdrive adding 10 unanswered goals in the third quarter before careering away to a 94 point win to extend their winning streak to six and a strong possibility of second place in VAFA Division 1 and the coveted double chance.

So did Preston just capitulate or did Prahran simply shows its superior class?.

The answer is probably a combination of both, certainly the Bullants major play makers the Calcedo brothers faded after threatening to dominate in the first half.

In the third term the Two Blues finally started to get reward for co captain Rory Brodie's centre bounce dominance and with co captain James Musster springing to life with his trademark breakaway dashes suddenly the complexion of the game changed,

Six goals came in the first 17  minutes, and when Ethan Plaza goaled from a 50m penalty moments later it was game over.

Impressively the Two Blues maintained the rage to the final minutes.

With post siren news second placed Oakleigh had lost to UHS-VU, the double chance is now a reality.

Oakleigh is four points ahead but have a tough draw and a much inferior percentage to the third placed Two Blues.

Jon Simonetta matched his first round haul of six goals and mid-season recruit Eddie Espinosa, a former Prahran U19s teammate of Musster and Tim Maya showed his class around goals with four majors.

But the stand out best afield was Ben Galbraith who constantly broke the lines from defence with his pace followed by pin point delivery.

PRAHRAN 2-7 6-10 16-13 21-17 (143)

PRESTON 3-2 6-3 7-4 7-6 (48)

 Goals: J. Simonetta 6, E. Espinosa 4, S. Chapman 2, R. Brodie 2, E. Plaza, J. Musster, T. Seaman, B. Galbraith, M. Clifford, J. Waters, B. Adams
Best Players: B. Galbraith, R. Brodie, M. Mayne, J. Stent-Powell, J. Simonetta, E. Espinosa.

RESERVES

A comprehensive win in the end after a spirited effort from the visitors.

This was win number eight for the season but as they remain two games outside the four with three rounds remaining, finals seem out of reach.

PRAHRAN 1-7 5.9 7.11 10-13 (73)

PRESTON 2-0 2-1 4-2 6-4 (40)

 Goals:J. Matherson 5, P. Pavlou, D. Marrows, M. Grogan, J. Noonan, A. Perez
Best :P. Rhodes, A. Maxwell, M. Woods, T. Bowes, B. Graham, D. Marrows.

THIRDS

PRAHRAN 1-1 1-1 2-2 5-3 (33)

AJAZ 4-3 6-6 13-7 16.8 (104)

Goals: P. Robinson 2, J. Andrews, A. Stewart, N. Tetteroo
Best Players:J. Tuhan, N. Keohler, N. Tetteroo, P. Robinson, J. Marshall, M. Amore