By David Nagel
An insatiable appetite for the contest has propelled Cora Lynn to its most impressive win for the season with a 10.11.71 to 5.12.42 home victory over Nar Nar Goon on Saturday.
The Cobras cracked the Goon open in the second and third quarters – kicking the last four goals in each – after a pressure-packed first term from both clubs resulted in no goals being scored.
The win sees the Cobras leap-frog the Goon into fourth place on the ladder.
Both teams were busy at the selection table on Thursday night, with Cobras’ coach Shaun Sparks forced to leave Nathan Gillis, Nathan Villella and Kyah Cronin out of last week’s winning team against Dalyston, replaced by Casey Demons star James Munro, Jake Ross and Liam Taylor, who was playing just his second game of senior footy after debuting in 2019.
Justin Stanton had Cooper Pursell, Flynn Parker, Jed Smith and Mitch Homfray missing from the Goon’s most recent engagement, with Ben Cross, Jack Gribbin, Jai Hamilton and James Cairns the worthy replacements.
This one started with the pressure of a final, with high-intensity tackling and some key match-ups proving mouth-watering.
Jake Blackwood got the huge job on Cobras’ dangerman Nathan Gardiner, while Hamilton stood Ryan Gillis at half-forward and Ben Cross had the task of keeping Jai Rout quiet.
Billy Thomas and Nate Pipicelli locked horns in the ruck, while Cobras key-defenders Matt Briggs and Tim Payne were given the roles of shutting down dangerous visitors in Dermott Yawney and Troy McDermott.
Neither team conceded an inch of ground in the first term, with Gardiner providing the first-quarter highlight…almost pulling in one of the all-time great marks right on the quarter-time siren.
Gardiner flew high over Blackwood and Cairns, but the ball bounced off his chest as the crowd went wild at the climb.
It proved a forerunner of things to come…because the Cobras were flying high through the second and third quarters.
Fittingly, it was Gardiner who got the goal-scoring underway after converting a free-kick from 30 metres out, five minutes into the second term.
Yawney then juggled a one-hander at the opposite end of the ground to bring the scores back to level with nine minutes ticked by.
The Cobras then well-and truly gained the ascendency.
Munro kicked his first of the season, and fourth in Cobras colours, after Gillis pinpointed him perfectly inside 50.
Rout then nailed a set-shot, before Gardiner outmuscled Blackwood in the goal-square to kick the gap out to 16 points.
Gardiner then made it three for the quarter with a goal from close range, on a tight angle, to make it 33-11 at the main break.
The Goon needed a spark to turn this one into a contest.
The visitors did have their best period of play early in the third term, with live-wire Gribbin kicking one off the ground after two minutes, before Deon Boavida took a courageous mark to narrow the margin to 10 points…just six minutes into the second half.
But, as quick as the Goon challenged…they fell away even hastier!
The Goon simply couldn’t match the Cobras’ toughness around the contest, with Munro and new-recruit Josh Cochrane bustling through in-and-under, while Luke Hartley and Luke Ryan were busy around the ground.
The Cobras played the game in their forward half, and capitalised on some great front-half pressure and sloppy ball use from the Goon defenders.
The home-side dominated the forward-50 count in the third quarter, leading 14-6, and had eight forward-50 intercepts…after having just seven in the first half.
Under extreme and constant pressure, the Goon coughed up the footy at will.
The pressure soon translated to the scoreboard, with Ryan snapping one from the boundary, before Gardiner kicked his fourth after a tremendous pressure-act from Cochrane.
The Cobras new midfielder is quickly earning a reputation as a contested beast who won’t take a backward step for anyone.
Rout then showed his class, kicking two clever goals late in the third to seal a 37-point margin at three-quarter time.
“We played the forward-half game boys, 65-percent in our half, and our forward pressure was fantastic,” Sparks told his team at three-quarter time.
“Eight turnovers in our forward half, that’s the pressure we need to bring to play our best football.
“Let’s get five more, get that number to 20…and this game is over.
“Let’s keep cracking in and finish this game off in style.”
Gillis then kicked one off the ground, eight minutes into the final term…to signal the tucking away of the notepad…the game was over!
The Goon kicked the final two of the contest, which failed to camouflage a very-disappointing day at the office.
Gardiner once again won the battle of the key forwards, kicking four for the winners, while Rout was all class with his three piercings of the big sticks.
Gus Da Costa provided great workrate between the arcs, while Thomas had the better of the ruck and Briggs did well to keep a struggling Yawney quiet.
This was a hugely disappointing performance from the Goon, who just couldn’t handle the extreme heat for four quarters.
Skipper Trent Armour was typically resilient through the midfield, and Brent Hughes and Hamilton were defiant in defence…but Stanton simply had too many passengers, for his liking, in navy blue on the day.
The Goon host ladder-leaders Inverloch-Kongwak this week, in a massive test of their character, while the Cobras also roll out the red-carpet against reigning champions Tooradin-Dalmore.
CORA LYNN 0.2 5.3 9.8 10.11(71)
NAR NAR GOON 0.1 1.4 3.7 5.12(42)
Cora Lynn Goals: Nathan Gardiner 4, Jai Rout 3, Jeremy Monckton, James Munro, Luke Ryan. Best: Gus Da Costa, William Thomas, Jai Rout, Matthew Briggs, Luke Ryan, Luke Hartley.
Nar Nar Goon Goals: Deon Boavida, Jack Gribbin, Troy McDermott, Dermott Yawney. Best: Trent Armour, Paddy Cross, Brent Hughes, Jai Hamilton, Nate Pipicelli, Aidan Pipicelli.
