SKOB Saints run over Kew in top-of-table clash

Kristin Sims

It was a top of the table clash in William Buck Premier Women’s between St Kevin’s and Kew, and in true St Kevin’s form, they had scored within the first few minutes of the match showing the Kew backline that they were going to be in for a busy day ahead. After the first goal, Kew showed some strength to control the ball and hold the play in their half of the ground. Despite this they were unable to put any scoreboard pressure on St Kevin’s, making for a low scoring first term. Kew were able to keep their pressure up on St Kevin’s in the second quarter and the game continued to be a tight even contest. The scoring of both teams was hampered by the conditions and credit to the Kew defence keeping St Kevin’s to just four goals until half time. As the third quarter went on, St Kevin’s began to look stronger and stronger, they were running over the top of Kew and started to win more contests at ground level. The result was another three goal quarter for St Kevin’s which extended their lead to five goals with one quarter to play. In the final term, St Kevin’s were able to take it up another level again. They piled on their defensive pressure and held Kew scoreless for the entire second half of the match. St Kevin’s added another three goals to their tally, to end the game with an impressive 49-point win.

Sitting one game behind the top four, Caulfield Grammarians were needing a win to keep themselves in touch with the top of the ladder when they came up against West Brunswick. West Brunswick were looking good early on, covering the ground well and making good use of space. Caulfield were not to be outdone and showed why they are vying for a finals finish, by being the first to score. Caulfield were effective when they had possession of the ball and kept the play in their attacking area early. It was a slow start to the second quarter for both teams with the ball spending a lot of time in packs on the ground. Again, it was Caulfield who got the first score. From here they went on a run and took control of the game by adding another three goals, to give them a five-goal lead heading into half time. The third quarter saw a stronger defence from West Brunswick, they were closer to their opponents, restricting the run which came from Caulfield in the second quarter. Throughout the quarter, West Brunswick continued to keep up the pace with Caulfield, limiting them to just one goal. The reward finally came for West Brunswick deep into the third where they finally got their first goal. The final term followed the same play as the third quarter with Caulfield doing all they could to hold onto their lead. The play was scrappy throughout the final quarter with both teams looking fatigued. Neither team were able to get a score and so it was Caulfield who got the win to hold on to the third spot on the ladder.

With St Mary’s Salesian still looking for their first win of the year and Old Xaverians coming off a tough loss in round eleven, this was anyone’s game. It was a relatively even start to the game with St Mary’s Salesian showing some positive signs early, restricting Old Xaverians any free flowing play. Both teams were playing equally measured football and sharing the play with neither making a real statement on the game. Old Xaverians showed some positive signs kicking two goals in the first quarter and stopping St Marys from scoring at all. The second quarter saw results in attack for St Marys with them getting a goal to pay off for all the strong effort they had made in defence. Again, defensively they showed improvement from earlier games this year and limited Old Xaverians to just one goal for the second quarter to keep themselves in touch at the half time break. After the main break it was Old Xaverians who came out and made a statement with a very early goal. It was a good momentum starter that saw them take control of the game and add another four goals to their tally for the quarter. Old Xaverians had set themselves up for a victory with St Marys having no answer for the strong attacking game. In the last term all Old Xaverians needed to do was keep St Marys at bay. Defensively they got the job done until the last part of the quarter where St Marys got their second goal of the day. Despite not scoring themselves, it was enough for Old Xaverians to claim a much-needed win.

With Marcellin showing some strong form in round ten, Melbourne Uni needed to come out with their best football to get themselves a win. The fighting spirit that we have come to see from Melbourne Uni was on full display early on. They were smothering the ball handler with their pressure and tackling fiercely, giving Marcellin no room. It was an evenly matched game on the scoreboard with Melbourne Uni taking a very narrow four-point lead into half time. The poor weather conditions didn’t help the scoring either, with Melbourne Uni sitting at one goal six. The scoreline showed that they had plenty of the ball in their forward line but were needing to steady themselves in front of goals to get a win. Marcellin struggled to maintain possession of the ball when they had it. Melbourne Uni were able to capitalise on the mistakes made by Marcellin and keep control of the ball in their half of the ground for most of the second half. Going into the final term it was still just the four points dividing the two teams in Melbourne Uni’s favour. The final term saw Melbourne Uni continue their strong hunt for the ball, taking possession in the majority of the contests. Defensively Melbourne Uni were also able to keep the ball out of Marcellin’s hands to ensure that they got themselves the win. One goal in the final term was enough for a Melbourne Uni win, which gives them a handy two game buffer in the fourth spot on the ladder.