EFL: Blackburn makes it five consecutive wins after a 27-point victory over Norwood

BLACKBURN made it five wins on the spin and strengthened its push towards a top-five berth with a 27-point win over the Norsemen.

Ryan Bathie was among Blackburn’s best players with four goals. Picture: Steve Tanner

IT perhaps reflected Norwood’s past few years.

Brilliant in patches, found wanting at other times.

Blackburn made it five wins on the spin and strengthened its push towards a top-five berth with a 27-point win over the Norsemen on Saturday.

Making the win more pleasing for Blackburn coach Brendan Allen was that the Burners booted 16 goals without star forward Jake Hammond kicking a major.

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Blackburn coach Brendan Allen. Picture: Steve Tanner

“It’s probably a testament to how diverse in attack we are that Jake doesn’t score but we still managed to hit the scoreboard and if you’ve got multiple options, teams can’t cover them all,” Allen said.

“The other part to it is we set ourselves a couple of goals that no one had beaten Balwyn at Balwyn at this footy club and the current playing group, no one had beaten Norwood at Norwood.”

Norwood’s start at Mullum Mullum Reserve resembled its opening to the season — playing catch up.

.@Blackburn_FC president Matt Breen takes a trip into the @FightMND bucket as part of the halftime @footyefl entertainment. pic.twitter.com/hSzTdQ0Wov

— Toby Prime (@T_Prime2) June 16, 2018

The Burners jumped the Norsemen and by the 23-minute mark of the first term the visitors had opened up a 38-point lead.

Norwood’s first three scores were rushed behinds before Joel Naburgs kicked the Norsemen’s first major in time-on.

Enter Leigh Williams.

The champion Norwood forward was in vintage form in the second term, on the end of some champagne football from his midfielders.

It was the sort of form Norwood coach Patrick Bowden would like to bottle.

Julian Soccio after injuring his shoulder in the second quarter. Picture: Steve Tanner

Four of Williams’ six goals came in a golden 12-minute period as the Norsemen remarkably held a two-point lead at the long break.

But the second half turned into a scrap with players dropping like ten pins before the main break.

Norwood ruckman Connor O’Sullivan was stretchered from the ground with a suspected broken bone in his leg or ankle, Tom Moloney was concussed after a bruising hit from Ben Daniher and Stuart Hill played with a hurt knee.

Blackburn was also without star midfielder Julian Soccio (shoulder) and James Kenworthy (calf) from just after quarter-time.

With both sides short on manpower, just two goals were kicked for the third quarter to have scores level at 9.10 (64) at the final change.

Adam Gibson’s checkside goal, which resulted after a run-down tackle from David Johnson deep in defensive 50 on Luke Conca, put the home side six points up early in the last term and could have been the catalyst for the Norsemen to record a third consecutive victory.

Nick Gray is wrapped up in a tackle. Picture: Steve Tanner

But instead Ryan Bathie and Patrick Lawlor combined for five unanswered goals to help blow the final score out to 16.13 (109) to 12.10 (82).

Bowden said he was proud of his side’s endeavour.

“I was disappointed that we started poorly and I was disappointed we couldn’t finish the game off but I was proud of their efforts in their ability to get back in the game, stay in the game and with three pretty significant sort of injuries, I felt like they battled as hard as they possibly could but just couldn’t quite get over the line,” Bowden said.

“It was a bit of a battle of the injured but it just didn’t fall our way in the last quarter and they got a run on and got the ball over the back on us too many times.”