Queenscliff wins against Modewarre in upset after blistering third quarter amid challenging week

After being accused of targeting a hurt player last week, Queenscliff let its footy do the talking with a blistering quarter to knock off one of the form teams of the competition.

Queenscliff knocked off Modewarre in an upset win. Picture: Mark Wilson

A blistering third quarter has seen Queenscliff cause a stunning upset against the form side of the Bellarine Football Netball League in Modewarre.

Queenscliff had faced a difficult week after players had been accused of foul play towards injured Ocean Grove star Kye Annand in their loss to the Grubbers last round, but the Coutas managed to put that to one side, turning a two-point halftime deficit into a 50-point lead in the space of a quarter.

Queenscliff kicked 8.6 to two behinds in the third term, with Geelong Falcons graduate Sol Bowtell and Kai Keenan doing the damage with two apiece as the Coutas ran rampant.

But the home side used up their petrol tickets in the premiership quarter, with Modewarre kicking six goals in 16 minutes in the last to send nerves through the Coutas camp, bringing the Warriors within three goals.

Queenscliff managed to dry up the scoring from there to secure a 15-point, the club’s fourth of the season.

Will Baker celebrates a goal. Picture: Mark Wilson

The win is undoubtedly the Coutas’ most significant given Modewarre’s hot streak in the past three weeks where they knocked off Drysdale, Anglesea and Geelong Amateur against the odds.

Queenscliff coach Jamieson said it had been a challenging week for the club after their players’ character had been brought into question.

Ocean Grove had accused Coutas players of targeting Annand following a bump in the second quarter last week.

Annand played out the game but then spent several days in hospital with a lacerated spleen.

Ocean Grove playing co-coach Nick Bourke claimed he saw Annand cop attention off the ball but no Coutas players were cited by the AFL Barwon match review and the Grubbers did not take the matter any further.

Jamieson was keen to move on from the conjecture and was proud that his club was able to produce the exciting brand they had been working on in his first season back at Queenscliff.

“After what has been a semi-tough week for the footy club, it is good to bounce back and let our football do the talking,” Jamieson said.

“It was a good performance by us, our best performance this year – especially the third quarter, I thought that was the best footy we have played.

“The footy that we did play will stack up against anyone I think. It was one of those ones where everything we had been working on clicked and we had been waiting for that type of performance and we are rapt we got it.

“We want to be an exciting team, we want to play a quick, fast brand of footy and we just took the game on. We were able to execute, there were players forward of the play that we were able to use our footskills to our advantage.

“We spent a lot of pennies in the third quarter getting the lead and then we were probably gassed come three quarter time and it allowed ‘Modda’ to give a little bit of a scare in the last quarter, but the damage was already done.”

Jamieson lauded the Coutas on-ball brigade of Maxy Scott, Che Durran, Luke Ford, Lachie Kidd and ruckman Joe Cincotta for delivering them the win and was impressed by the work of Bowtell and Will Baker up forward.

Modewarre goalkicker Tom Hornsey (three majors) was adjudged as the Warriors best as Connor Joseph continued his strong season with four himself.

Connor Joseph kicked four goals. Picture: Mark Wilson

It has been largely a development year for the Coutas, who have fielded 40 different players across the season, but Jamieson is seeing promising signs of progress.

He pointed to the fact they boast a percentage of 92 – just five per cent off Modewarre who sits in the top five.

“We are getting games into a lot of players, although we are 4-8 our percentage probably shows that we are not far off,” Jamieson said.

“I won’t stop to say that the year has been a pass mark at the moment, but I think we are moving in a forward trajectory.”

Originally published as Queenscliff wins against Modewarre in upset after blistering third quarter amid challenging week