EFL 2019: East Ringwood records come-from-behind win over Park Orchards

Park Orchards is one of four teams fighting for the final spot in the EFL Division 1 top five. But it could be entrenched in the top three. Here’s why.

Armfield: “I’ve never been in a more stressful competition.” Picture: Stuart Milligan

Park Orchards is in a logjam of teams fighting for a place in EFL Division 1 finals when it could be entrenched in the top five.

The Sharks had to swallow their fourth defeat by less than a goal on Saturday after East Ringwood kicked the last five majors to score a come-from-behind win at Domeney Reserve.

Park Orchards sits sixth and shares a 6-9 record with Upper Ferntree Gully and the Roos, half-a-game behind fifth-placed Mooroolbark.

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“I’ve encouraged the boys to take it on and sometimes we’ve got to understand when the game is on the line to maybe go to plan B,” Park Orchards coach Dennis Armfield said.

“At the moment we’re probably not executing plan B as well as we’d want to but four close ones — that’s the difference between sitting second to where we are now.

“It’s been a tough pill to swallow but I think it’s character building and we’re on a good journey.”

Park Orchards has also had narrow defeats against Lilydale (five points), Croydon (three) and Bayswater (two) and will meet Mooroolbark this weekend in a must-win clash if it is to play finals.

Armfield said the result was one that got away.

“They just had more experience, hardened bodies that knew what they were doing and knew how they were going to do it,” he said.

“When you’re four goals up, you’ve got to learn that we don’t need to score again necessarily, let’s go to plan B.

“I’ve encouraged the boys to take the game on … that’s when we play our best footy and in that last quarter things just didn’t work our way.”

Leigh Osborne was the difference with a haul of 7.5 in just his third game this year to inspire East Ringwood to a 13.12 (90) to 13.8 (86) win.

“(James) Belo in the midfield, (Chris) Cerni in the midfield, (Liam) Kinsella when he plays in the midfield, that’s a quality midfield group … they just knew they were always going to be a chance,” Armfield said.

“We had some great players in the midfield that I thought battled hard all day but they only know one way really.

“You could probably say he (Osborne) was the difference.”

There is one spot left up for grabs in the top five, with anyone of Mooroolbark, Park Orchards, Upper Ferntree Gully or East Ringwood a chance of making finals.

“I’ve never been in a more stressful competition. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Armfield said.

“I played 10 years of AFL and to have four losses under a goal in one year — I’m going grey quick.”

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