EFL 2018: Doncaster East secures finals double chance after two-point win over Lilydale

DONCASTER East all but secured the Eastern Football League Division 2 minor premiership after a two-point win over Lilydale, leaving the Lions just two wins away from grand final glory.

DONCASTER East won its second consecutive game by less than a goal on Saturday to all but secure the Division 2 minor premiership, leaving the Lions just two wins away from grand final glory.

A burst of five goals in the space of nine minutes to start the third quarter helped Doncaster East to a 10.7 (67) to 9.11 (65) win over Lilydale, before surviving a late lunge in the last quarter from the Falcons.

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Lilydale kicked four of the last five goals to fall just short of a come-from-behind win, with the result likely to consign the Falcons to an elimination final against Bayswater on September 2.

The Falcons were the better side for the majority of the contest but was left to rue a string of missed opportunities in the first half, going to halftime with a 15-point lead.

Doncaster East coach Steve Buckle. Picture: Davis Harrigan

Lilydale coach Ben Neagle thought the advantage “could have been four goals up at least” if his side had have taken its chances.

Doncaster East held a 20-point lead halfway through the last quarter, before goals from Tori Klaas-Henry, Brandon Droessler and Ryan McNay brought the margin back to two points.

Jack Sholakis responded when he ran into an open goalsquare, only for Ryan Harvey to launch Lilydale’s ninth goal from 45m just 30 seconds later at the 25-minute mark.

FT
Lilydale 9.11 65
Doncaster East 10.7 67

What a final quarter of footy, both sides never stopped attacking.

Goals
Falcons: Droessler 2, Harvey 2, Bernsten, Koger, McNay, DePace, Klaas-Henry
Lions: Summers 3, Gordon 2, Sholakis 2, Steven, Smith, Murphy#EFLDIV

— EFL (@footyefl) August 18, 2018

The final siren sounded with the ball in the Falcons forward 50, leaving Doncaster East breathing a sigh of relief for a second consecutive week after a three-point win over Wantirna South in Round 16.

The result left Lions coach Steve Buckle with mixed emotions — pleased his side had again triumphed in a close result but puzzled why it was playing in fits and starts.

Sam Gold in action for Doncaster East. Picture: Davis Harrigan

“We probably, to be honest, only played 25 minutes of footy but that was enough to get us over the line,” Buckle said.

“We spoke about that after the game, said, ‘look, we’re able to put quarters like that (third term) together but imagine if we did that from the first quarter’.

“It would be nice to see that for at least one week at least to just release some of the pressure … I think we just drift away from what we know works but when we click back into gear we get it back in place.”

The result was also Doncaster East’s fifth win by under two goals this year, helping the Lions sit a game clear on top ahead of a likely semi final against Upper Ferntree Gully on September 1.

The winner of that clash will book the first place in the 2018 grand final.