BRANXHOLME-WALLACEDALE has started its push for a South West District Football Netball League finals spot with a brilliant victory against Heywood at home on Saturday.

Knowing they must win every game remaining in the season, the Saints were not going to start the hunt for that finals place with a loss.

The team led at every break, as they weathered both the conditions and everything that Heywood threw their way, as the players refused to be bowed by the visitors.

The game was played under leaden skies that opened and rain fell throughout the match making ball handling paramount for both teams.

Despite the wet, greasy conditions, the players produced an entertaining first quarter with seven goals kicked between them, as the Saints took a one-goal lead into the break they didn’t relinquish for the rest of the match.

Neither team was going to be able to produce fast-flowing football and the midfield players from both teams had to earn every possession.

Heywood rallied in the second quarter to reduce the lead to only a single point, as the game became a real arm wrestle that saw the ball rebound between each half-back line with only one goal kicked for the term.

The home side came out after the long break determined to maintain its advantage and the Saints backline continued to repel the Lions at every opportunity.

Each team remained determined to kick truly with the home side registering three goals to the visitors’ two in the third term.

Branxholme-Wallacedale held an eight-point advantage heading into the last stanza, which was the largest gap between these teams for the entire day.

The final quarter saw both teams throw bodies at the ball in a desperate attempt to gain ascendancy, as the clock ticked down.

Each kicked three goals for that final term, but the Lions registered a behind to reduce the final margin to only seven points in a highly entering match for the conditions.

Kieran Barker stood tall with his goal kicking, slotted through five majors for the Saints in conditions that were not conducive to clean handling.

Travis Scott, Rhys Wheeler, Colby Hammond, Samuel Lambevski, Samuel Brewer and Harry Goodman were the players singled out for mention after the match, while Stephen Lovett, Troy Lovett, Richard Bamblett, Tanner Barclay, John Bell and Brad Martin never shirked the issue for the visitors.

The result leaves the Saints two games out of a finals place with the Lions holding down the all-important fifth spot.

Cavendish d Westerns

CAVENDISH has cemented its place in the top five by defeating Westerns 12.17 (89) – 3.2 (20) on its home ground.

Westerns once again forfeited its reserve grade game, allowing the home side the ability to give some of its players an extra week of rest before tackling the remainder of the season after the break for the long weekend.

Even with the resting of some of its stars, Cavendish was never going to lose the game, and the crowd that braved the wintry conditions would have entered the ground thinking that the result was a formality.

“Without any reserves match this week against Westerns, it was a good opportunity to rotate several junior and reserve grade players through the senior mix, while also giving some of the regular senior players a chance to rest up and get on top of some of the lingering niggles,” Cavendish coach, Clinton Thomas said.

The weather didn’t allow the teams to showcase their respective skills as the match started in wet, greasy conditions that made ball handling a tough ask as both teams threw bodies at the ball.

The conditions kept the scores down in the first half with the home side taking a 21-point lead into the long break, but upon resumption the Bloods picked up the pace of their play, as the rain stopped and allowed the players to play dry weather football.

A second half of seven goals to one, gave Cavendish the expected comfortable victory, as Jack Behncke and Steven Hurley kicked four gaols each to dominate the forward line.

 Jonathon Coghlan, Steven Hurley, Aiden Luhrs, Jack Behncke, Dale Harris and Bailey Herrmann had good games for the hosts, and some will be putting pressure on those players whose spot they took on the day.

While Sydney Ray, Noah Knight, Lachie Warburton, Zac Duncan-Rethus, Dylan Marlow and James Corbett impressed for the visitors.

Dartmoor d Tyrendarra

DARTMOOR has made a statement to the rest of the competition with a resounding victory against Tyrendarra at Dartmoor on Saturday, 15.9 (99) to 5.4 (34).

The Giants needed to ensure they came away with the points after dropping its last round game against Cavendish, which dropped the team from second place on the ladder.

The result of this game has lifted the Giants back into second place and has seen Cavendish climb into third with Tyrendarra dropping from second to fourth.

Knowing his team needed victory to climb back up the ladder, Dartmoor coach, Jayden Polaski, turned in one of his best individual games for the club, leading from the front all day to be named best on ground for the Giants.

The hosts opened the game with a six-goal first quarter that took the match away from Tyrendarra, as the visitors struggled to repel the Dartmoor surge forward.

That forward surge continued all game, as the Giants posted goal after goal to move to a comfortable nearly 11-goal victory by the final siren.

Polaski, Liam Robinson, Joseph Franklin, Alex O’Connell, Daniel Lynch and Bailey Polaski performed perfectly for the home side, while Luke Evans battled hard all day in the back line for the Darras, but he also had assistance from Luke Thorpe, Jason Meulendyks, Ben Atwell, James Williams and Dylan Murray.

Coleraine d. Heathmere

HEATHMERE continued to show passages of good play against ladder leader, Coleraine, at home on Saturday, but the Meres eventually went down 6.6 (42) to 17.8 (110).

While the home side stuck with the visitors for much of the first half, the Meres legs failed them after the long break, as the Coleraine players lifted the intensity of their game plan to run away in the final stanza.

Robert MacKinnon continued his great from at kicking for goal, adding six majors to his season tally to be in second place on the goal kickers list with 32.

Cooper Anson, Jamie West, Kyle Anson, Luke Driscoll, Cedrick De Vera and Matthew Gore once again found their efforts being rewarded as the best players in the Heathmere team, while Harry Armstrong, Adam Ward, Jack Wright, Robert Mackinnon, William Whittakers and Sam Tooley delivered when it mattered for the Maroons.