Aquinas respond, Manningham new ladder-leader

Lachlan Chapman

Emmaus St Leo’s have found the winning touch again, reversing their form after losing three games straight to run away as 75-point winners at home against North Brunswick. It was deceptively tricky conditions at Burwood’s Bennetswood Reserve, and after a relatively even opening fifteen minutes the Animals were able to gain control of the contest late in the piece and carry the momentum into quarter time with a goal on the siren.

The floodgates opened in the second term with the Animals playing their home ground well, piling on eight goals to two including classy back to back goals from club legend Paul Baranello and the contest was effectively over at half time. To the Bulls credit they showed a lot of heart in the second half, refusing to lay down and evening the ledger in terms of goals scored (8 goals apiece), however it simply wasn’t enough as the Animals scored a crucial win to get their season back on track by re-entering the top four.

There were a number of solid contributors for the Animals all round which would please senior coach Ian Ledder, with Baranello, Ethan Phillips (2) and Joden Crothers doing a great job on North Brunswick’s imposing forward Michael Salloum (2) who sits equal second in this section’s goalkicking leaderboard. Andrew Ramzy and Peter Butler were best for North Brunswick who have a couple of weeks off before travelling to face Westbourne Grammarians.

Manningham Cobras have been rewarded for their good form, overtaking Aquinas on percentage to take top spot on the ladder after recording a comfortable 77-point win over Richmond Central. In a recurring theme this round, it was the second term which saw Manningham display their attacking flare with a seven-goal burst, effectively putting the result beyond doubt by half time.

Despite their best efforts, the Snakes were unable to stop a rampant Cobras outfit who have been in red hot form in recent weeks. Michael Muller (4) Ayden Sukkel (3) and Benjamin Arnold (3) stood up in a Cobras forward line full of depth. Michael Parkes was best on for the victors while Ricky Ison got the votes for the visitors and teammate Edward Williams snagged three goals.

Aquinas have responded well to their first loss of the season by defeating Parkside by 40 points, however it was not enough to retain top spot on the ladder as Manningham have now overtaken them on percentage.

It would be hard to be disappointed as a Bloods supporter, however, after a strong defensive display away from home saw them hold Parkside to only six goals for the game’s entirety. Ash Naulty (3) and new transfer Michael Cardamone (6), did most of the damage for Aquinas while Luciano Logozzo continued his strong goalkicking form, adding another three to his season tally.

After the Queen’s birthday bye, Parkside face a tough assignment on the road against the form side of the competition; Manningham. In the meantime, Aquinas host the competition wildcard, Westbourne Grammarians, at home.