Glenelg’s final quarter charge sinks North Adelaide at Prospect Oval
GLENELG will head into this weekend’s bye firmly entrenched in the SANFL top five after digging deep to overcome a dogged North Adelaide.
GLENELG will head into this weekend’s bye firmly entrenched in the SANFL top five after digging deep to overcome a dogged North Adelaide.
The Bays showed more polish when it mattered to come from behind and record a gritty 29-point triumph over the Roosters in a see-sawing contest at Prospect Oval on Monday.
Matthew Lokan’s highly-fancied side looked set for a routine victory when it led by 27 early in the third term.
But the Roosters had other ideas and a five-goal-to-one premiership quarter handed them a five-point buffer at the last change.
Five unanswered majors got Glenelg home in the final term, as the Milera brothers, Terry and Ian, ran riot to finish with three goals each.
Lokan said he was satisfied with the progress of the Tigers, who moved to third on the ladder at the midway point of the minor round.
“We perhaps didn’t capitalise enough in the second quarter and probably should have been a couple more in front, but to North’s credit they came back in the third,” Lokan said.
“We got back to what we do well and that was hunt the footy (in the fourth term) and were able to break it open.
“To go into the mid-season break 6-3 is really positive … but it means nothing if we don’t capitalise on that in the back end of the year.”
Glenelg took a five-point buffer to the first break after an opening term of free-flowing football.
North’s Lewis Hender claimed a brilliant high-flying grab over the pack and goaled from 30m, but Ian Milera pounced on a loose ball late in the term to kick truly and hand the Bays a slender lead.
The Tigers pulled away to a 22-point advantage in the second as the Roosters were punished for a string of sloppy turnovers and a failure to convert in front of the sticks.
Glenelg teenager Jay Boyle booted his first league goal early in the quarter and repeated the trick moments later.
Terry Milera produced a beautiful kick from a tight angle to push the Bays further in front, but Max Thring grabbed a crucial major back for the hosts in the dying embers of the first half.
The gallant Leigh Ryswyk (25 disposals) and Keenan Ramsey were on target in quick succession to give North hope in the third.
Big man Alex Barns pulled out a superb kick from the boundary, before Hender and Ryswyk goaled again to hand the Roosters an unlikely lead.
But the Tigers powered home on the back of strong performances from Ben Sawford (31 disposals, one goal), Matthew Snook (27, six tackles) and Jonty Scharenberg (25).
Roosters coach Josh Carr said his side was outclassed at key moments.
“We controlled the footy a lot better (in the third quarter) and gave our forwards an opportunity to win one-on-one contests,” Carr said.
“But we just fell away and skill errors have really killed us.
“Things that should be certain goals, we missed.”
SCOREBOARD
Glenelg 4.2 7.8 8.9 13.14 (92)
North Adelaide 3.3 4.4 9.8 9.9 (63)
BEST – Glenelg: Sawford, T. Milera, Snook, Scharenberg, I. Milera, Barry, Boyle. North: Ryswyk, McKenzie, Motlop, Clisby, Hender, Schwarz.
GOALS – Glenelg: T. Milera, I. Milera 3, Scott, Boyle 2, Sawford, McFarlane, McBean. North: Ryswyk, Hender 2, McKenzie, Shannon, M. Thring, Ramsey, Barns.
UMPIRES – M. Scott, A. Crosby, J. Broadbent.
CROWD – 2356 at Prospect Oval