By JARROD POTTER
Victorian Women’s Football League
CRANBOURNE was left to wallow in more ways than one after its 17-point loss to Knox.
In VWFL Division-1 action, the conditions at Lewis Reserve better suited a pigsty and the players were forced to slop through the mud as such.
Four of the six goals kicked in the game came in the first quarter before the ground became truly chopped up as Knox snagged a crucial goal after the siren to take a 16-point lead.
The second and third quarters were lacklustre affairs as neither side could advance the ball in the rolling mauls that fell atop of the mud piles – with only five behinds accrued by Knox coming from those quarters.
The only heat on a cold Sunday afternoon was from the players as tempers frayed on both sides, leading to a couple of spot-fire skirmishes.
Even once cooler heads prevailed, the ball would not move from its slop bucket in the centre of the field.
A goal to Kerry Anderson kept hopes alive for Cranbourne in the final term, but Knox finally found some clear space to kick its fourth goal and ice the game.
Alicia Heins continued her stellar form in the Cranbourne strip – with her usual run-and-carry game easily gaining the most ground of any player on field.
Also starring for the young Eagles were Beaconsfield Youth Girls’ dynamo Georgia Fisher – stopping a number of Knox forward chances as she repelled from the last line of defence – and Sammy Franklin – who chopped out against the league’s number one threat in Knox ruck Alison Downie.
“First quarter I think we had too many missed tackles and they basically ran around us,” Cranbourne coach Shaun Smith said.
“They scored two goals from missed tackles and to lose by two or three goals really does hurt.
“They had bigger, more conditioned bodies and I think that was probably the difference on the day
“Second half we stepped up, especially in the last quarter and we showed some good fitness to run the game out but it was too late by then.”
The challenge ahead for Cranbourne to make the finals is immense – as the Eagles are two games outside the top four with four rounds to go. Their next task will be against league heavyweight Darebin on Sunday at AH Capp Reserve.
“Going to make it tough,” Smith said.
“We’ve got Darebin next week then Melbourne Uni… if we knock off those two it brings it back and we just need to see what happens but we basically have to win every game for the rest of the season.”
In Division 3/4 results, Cranbourne was knocked off by Port Melbourne Colts by 17 points while Hallam earned its sixth win of the season, knocking off Golden Point by 32 with Pippa Attard kicking four goals in a best-on-ground performance.
