Crib Point coach Brad Arnold believes Sorrento will go through the season undefeated

CRIB Point coach Brad Arnold cannot see anyone defeating Sorrento in the Nepean Football League this season.

IT was the Nepean round of routs.

The teams that won on Saturday did so with big margins that fattened their percentages and spotlighted the gap between the top and bottom sides.

And it was the unbeaten Sorrento that totted up the greatest winning margin, clouting 11th-placed Crib Point 26.20 (176) to 5.13 (42) to go 13-0 and invite more talk of an unbeaten season.

Class act James Hallahan was best-afield — he’s been mentioned in the best in seven of the Sorras’ past eight matches — and slotted four goals to go with his pile of possessions.

Leigh Poholke booted seven, giving him 45 from 10 outings and overtaking teammate Chris Dawes (42 goals).

Daniel Hickey again took his chance at senior level and ex-Demon Luke Tapscott was a bull around the ground.

There were also good games from Daniel Grant and Danny Stephenson.

Dawes and Troy Schwarze shared coaching duties for the Sorras but it’s believed Nick Jewell will return to the club this week.

Crib Point coach Brad Arnold said Sorrento was an organised and disciplined team with depth and confidence. He believes no one will beat Sorrento this year.

“As I said to my boys after the game, in any side you’ve got your bottom six or seven players. But those bottom six or seven lift when you’ve got the likes of Hallahan, Tapscott, (Leigh) Treeby, Tyrren Head and Poholke around them,’’ he said.

Mornington’s Xavier Barry-Murphy on the move against Karingal.

“They really damage you when you turn the footy over. They’re all on the same wavelength. They work for one another. They like to put their mates in better scoring positions. It’s a very

well-drilled team and I honestly can’t see anyone beating them.

“I know Rosebud haven’t played them since the start of the year and they got pretty close. But now …

“There are some very good sides in the comp — we’ve had heavy defeats from Rosebud, Hastings, Frankston, Dromana — and without taking away anything from them, I don’t see anyone beating Sorrento.’’

Shayne Ainsworth, Brendan Phillips and Jayden Espenschied battled it out for the beleaguered Crib, and young Ned Shannon was a shining light in a back pocket.

Arnold said he had adapted to senior football with ease.

As for his side, the Crib coach said it was out to claim some scalps in the next few weeks and exceed last year’s two-win season.

Second-placed Rosebud had its way with seventh-placed Somerville, winning 20.15 (135) to 8.6 (54).

Young Jai Nanscawen, given a spell from the Dandenong Stingrays, booted six goals and the Buds’ other bottom-age TAC Cup player, Campbell Hustwaite, joined him in the best alongside Sebastian Krumeich and the experienced Greg Bentley.

For Somie, Bryce Kellerman, Tim McGenniss Patrick Nagel and Ben Sedgwick never gave it up.

Red Hill was left two games away from fifth-placed Dromana when it took a 45-point loss — the lopsided round’s smallest winning margin — to Frankston Bombers at Baxter Park.

The final score was 17.11 (113) to 10.8 (68).

The Hills closed the gap to 10 points when Ben Hughes kicked his third goal early in the final quarter. But the Bombers answered with the next six, three coming from Sam Fox.

He finished with four, as did coach Beau Muston. Jarryd Amalfi, Jay Reynolds and Dale Sutton headed the Frankston’s team best.

Matt Hyden (four goals), Mitch Wallace and Jake Mold gave stout service to Red Hill.

Karingal’s Callan Dixon on the move against Mornington.

Hastings, fourth on the ladder, responded to a thrashing from Sorrento in the previous round by handing out one of its own.

The Blues dropped Rye 23.13 (150) to 9.10 (64).

Dale Alanis kicked six goals, Shaun Foster four and Nathan Gray and Paul Rogasch three apiece.

For the Demons, Harry Whitty, Nick Rowden and Jackson Allen did their best to prevent the avalanche of goals.

Tyabb went agonisingly close to a breakthrough win in the previous round but it was no match for Dromana, going down 23.10 (148) to 10.16 (76).

Ethan Johnstone (six) and Jay Hutchinson (four) shared 10 goals for the winners and Sam Geurts was terrific again.

Paul Ranson, Jay Alves and Jake Anderson battled away for Tyabb.

In the remaining match, former St Kilda forward Allan Murray had a day out with seven goals as Devon Meadows put Pearcedale on the rack at Glover Reserve, 22.15 (147) to 7.12 (54).

The bag gave Murray 39 goals for the season as the Panthers did it well over their nearest Nepean neighbour. Club great Jesse De Hey featured in the best again.

Tall Harry Prior was the best of the Dales.

While there were no surprises in Nepean, Chelsea upset Seaford in Peninsula, claiming a five-point victory.

It was tight all day — scores were level at quarter time, the Tigers led by six points at half time and five at the last change — but the Seagulls got up 14.12 (96) to 14.7 (91) when Jason Clarke was awarded a free and booted a goal after the siren.

Damian Rayson slotted a goal from the boundary to put the Tigers one point in front with less than a minute to play.

But the Seagulls won the centre clearance and pushed the ball forward.

“The ball was held up in our forward line, we won the hitout and Jason put his head in the hole and got a free,’’ Chelsea coach Brett Dunne said.

“He kicked it after the siren.

“On Friday his wife gave birth to their second child, then he comes out and kicks the winning goal ... I don’t think his life could get any better at the minute.’’

Used as a defensive forward, Matthew Ponton, with six goals, played one of his best games at senior level for Chelsea, and Todd Gardiner, tagging Rayson, and young Corey Edmunds did well too.

Dunne said Chelsea was a good team and “coming out of a long period of being down’’.

“Five years of it, I guess, and it’s not easy,’’ he said.

Ryan Smith marks for Mornington under pressure from Karingal’s Jack Birthisel.

Edithvale-Aspendale joined Mt Eliza on 28 points after snaring an important win over Bonbeach, 12.11 (83) to 7.7 (49).

The experienced Brendan Neville showed the way around the ball, Matt Meehan contributed four goals, Mark Mullins held Trent Dennis-Lane to two goals and the Eagles thought ruckman Chris Wylie had the better of Dylan Jones.

“We were up and about,’’ Edi-Asp coach Graeme Yeats said.

“Bonbeach are a strong rival and our predicament is we really can’t afford to lose too many more games.

“The players drove the agenda during the week. It was a really important game for us. We just wanted to compete a bit harder and be a bit stronger and defend better and be as physical as we could.

“It was a good, hard-fought, tough game. I really enjoyed it.’’

In other matches, Frankston YCW nosed out Mt Eliza 8.11 (59) to 7.5 (47), Pines was too strong for Langwarrin 13.15 (93) to 5.6 (36) and Mornington had a thumping win over Karingal, 21.14 (140) to 9.6 (60).