EFL 2019: Knox upsets Lilydale to claim 14-point win in Eastern Football League

Lilydale’s goalkicking yips raised their ugly head again as the Falcons suffered their first defeat of the season.

Harrison Greaves rises above the pack. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Lilydale’s goalkicking yips raised their ugly head again on Saturday as the Falcons suffered their first defeat of the season.

The Division 1 clash pitted the ladder-leading Lilydale against the eighth-placed Knox, but the visitors walked away with an upset 14-point win at the Lilydale Sports Oval.

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Knox led by 43 points at halftime but survived a comeback to score a 13.16 (94) to 10.20 (80) victory.

Lilydale has a conversion rate of 43.6 per cent this season and have kicked more goals than behinds in just one game this season.

Coach Ben Neagle said his side’s woes in front of goal were mental.

Lilydale coach Ben Neagle. Picture: Stuart Milligan

“We go to training and we don’t miss so it’s an interesting thing pressure, it does some weird things to blokes,” Neagle said.

“Inaccuracy has certainly hurt us in the past and just in the last few weeks it has crept in a little bit again.

“It’s not from lack of practice. We work a hell of a lot on our goalkicking, it’s certainly a little bit mental inside of the players.”

Knox laid the foundations in the opening quarter when it kicked six goals to one.

Lilydale challenged in the second half but left itself with too much work to do.

Neagle said missed chances in front of goal cost his side victory.

“They really came to play and they had some plans in place, which really worked for them early, but the second half I thought we were able to play our way but we were just chasing too big a total in the end,” he said.

“We were terrific in the second half and never gave in but we just missed some really easy chances.

“We missed four goals running into an open goal and some really easy set shots and in the end it has finally come back to bit us on the bum.”

Lilydale slipped to second ahead of a clash against Bayswater under lights at Bayswater Oval.

“We’ve been lucky in a couple of games, we’ve played some good footy in the first six rounds but we still haven’t put four quarters together,” Neagle said.

“We’re still looking at what our best looks like, which is great to be 5-1 and still not playing our best footy.”

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