COLERAINE has cemented its position at the top of the South West District Football Netball League (SWDFNL) ladder with a hard-fought victory over second-placed Dartmoor at Silvester Oval on Saturday.

With the Maroons holding a four-point gap on the rest of the competition going into the match, victory would see Coleraine stretch that gap to eight points as coach, Ryan McClure, told his players in the lead up to the game to stick to what they have learned so far.

The weather had a small part to play in the outcome, as a northerly wind blew for all but the last couple of minutes of the game, and the sharp shooters from both sides had trouble adjusting in front of goal.

A combined 23 behinds showed just how difficult the conditions were, but also the intensity of the contest also sapped the players from kicking straighter.

The first two quarters were an arm wrestle, as the ball travelled from one end of the ground to the other without either team being able to utilise their forward line.

The midfield players from both teams searched for a chink in the opponents’ defensive structure, but each team could only register four majors apiece, as the half time siren blew with the Maroons leading by five points.

The intensity not only remained at the level of the first half, but for the first 15 minutes of the third quarter it rose dramatically.

The first goal for the quarter (from either team) didn’t arrive until the 15-minute mark, as Coleraine broke free to finally record the much-needed goal to open a scoreboard gap on Dartmoor.

During that initial third quarter period, the teams once again tried to produce free-flowing football, only for the opposition to close it down.

Once the first goal of the third quarter was scored by the home side, it appeared that Dartmoor had the wind taken from their sails, as heads dropped for a short period at the end the third quarter and at the start of the last stanza.

Coleraine loves nothing more than to move the ball quickly from a centre bounce, a stoppage or from the back line with fast.

It was only the last five minutes of the third quarter and the first five minutes of the last quarter where the Giants dropped their intensity slightly, allowing Coleraine to burst away on the ground and on the scoreboard.

McClure said the Maroons had prepared well for what they expected to be a tough contest.

“We were prepared for a physical contest (as) it has been that way between the two clubs and Dartmoor have some strong contested ball winners, so we were more than ready and aimed to match them inside the contest,” he said.

“Half time was just a regroup.

“We were winning many of the 50-50s and I thought our depth would allow us to continue at the intensity level we'd established.

“We aim to play that way from the outset, but our players understand that against better opposition it takes a period of time to work through what they allow us and what we will except before we can open it up.

“It's pleasing to get the opportunity, but we understand that there will be days when the contest and battle for clean possession will take four quarters.”

Patrick Sinnott (four goals), Connor Deutscher (three goals) and Will Slattery (three goals) were strong up forward for Coleraine, but it took Ben Deutscher and Adam Ward in the midfield and a back line led by Jack Wright to seal the victory.

Dartmoor played well except for that ten-minute period either side of three-quarter time with Jarrod O’Brien, Jordan Murphy (five goals), Lachlan Polaski, Jayden Polaski, Mark Cowland (who had an epic battle with Ben Deutscher throughout the match) and William Watson all playing their roles for the visitors.