EFL: Jake Summers stars with six goals as Doncaster East scores a one-point win over Wantirna South
DONCASTER East spearhead Jake Summers put in his best showing of the year with a star six-goal haul to lift the Lions to a one-point win over Wantirna South.
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HE was best afield but he saved his best until last.
A spectacular goal from Jake Summers in the dying stages helped Doncaster East to a thrilling one-point win over Wantirna South at Walker Reserve on Saturday.
Summers snapped truly over his head from near the boundary line with just two minutes left to help give the Lions a remarkable 11.9 (75) to 11.8 (74) victory.
Leading by five points at the final change, Wantirna South kicked the opening two majors of the last term to extend its margin out to three goals with about 15 minutes to play.
But the Lions clawed their way back into the contest, with Summers’ sixth goal of the game deep in time-on in the last quarter giving the visitors a memorable victory.
Summers finished as Doncaster East’s only multiple goalkicker in his best showing of the year to lift the Lions to their sixth win of the season.
Wantirna South had opened up a 16-point lead at quarter-time before the contest turned into an arm wrestle after the Lions kicked five goals in the second term.
Doncaster East captain Nick Batsanis said the surprise Round 1 defeat against Mooroolbark had kicked his side into gear.
“We didn’t have a crash-hot three practice games leading into that so it was almost a wake-up call for some of the boys,” Batsanis said.
“Apart from that we have just gone from strength to strength, everyone is playing their roles.
“You would probably only put Brock McLean, who is probably our biggest standout at the moment, but everyone else is pitching in around the ground.”
The result moved Doncaster East a game clear into second on the Eastern Football League Division 2 ladder ahead of this weekend’s top-of-the-table clash against Lilydale, while the Devils remain a game outside the top four.
However, the win was soured with a knee injury to Jack Martin, with the club hopeful he will only miss between four and six weeks.
Elsewhere in Division 2, Park Orchards posted its fourth win of the season with an 18-point victory over Bayswater.
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