EFL 2019: Lilydale leapfrogs Bayswater into third on Division 1 ladder
Lilydale has moved back into the EFL Division 1 top three after logging its fourth consecutive win, but its 36-point victory over Bayswater didn’t come without its injury concerns.
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Bayswater and Lilydale started the game in third and fourth positions respectively on the Division 1 table.
By 9.30pm on Saturday, the two had traded places in the race to secure a top-three spot after the Falcons scored a 36-point win under lights at Lilydale Sports Oval.
It was Lilydale’s fourth win on the spin, leapfrogging Bayswater in the standings after improving its record to 10-6.
Lilydale coach Ben Neagle said it was a gritty performance from his side after it was left with no rotations for most of the second half.
Corey Berntsen (hip), Sciortino (ankle), Tori Klaas-Henry (ankle) and Nick Del Biondo (hamstring) played no part in the game in the last quarter.
“We had guys cramping left, right and centre in the last quarter,” Neagle said.
“They all wanted to come off but we couldn’t bring them off.
“Brad Lowe was cramping in both legs at one stage and we had to put him to full-forward for the last 10 minutes of the game because he was just cooked.”
Bayswater was kept to just two goals after quarter-time as Lilydale scored a 10.12 (72) to 4.12 (36) win.
The Falcons are now a game clear in third.
Fixtures against Mooroolbark (seventh) and Croydon (second) in the final two home-and-away rounds will determine if they remain there, while Bayswater may need to topple both Upper Ferntree Gully (sixth) and Park Orchards (fifth) if it is to secure the double chance.
“It was a great defensive effort by our guys,” Neagle said.
“It’s certainly an area we’ve worked on really hard.
“Bayswater started the game well. I think they had five early shots on goal and kicked 2.3 so we came in at quarter-time to re-group and focus on what we needed to do.
“The guys carried out the instructions really well. I was really happy with that.”
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Lilydale will host Mooroolbark on Saturday, with the Mustangs needing to win to remain in the hunt for fifth spot.
“Hopefully we can get that third spot and get that double chance, which is really crucial,” Neagle said.
“(We’ve got) Mooroolbark and Croydon, which is a really tough run home. We’ve just got to keep going down that consistency path with our group.
“Mooroolbark touched us up over at their ground earlier in the season, so we’ve got to do our homework on them.”
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