Eastern league 2019: South Croydon holds out Noble Park by 13 points

From a sticky start of 0-3, South Croydon has improved to 3-3 after seeing off Noble Park at Cheong Park, led by former AFL pair Matt Jones and Max Warren.

South Croydon stars Matt Jones and Daniel King take a breather after the Bulldogs’ win over Noble Park.

South Croydon started the season with three consecutive losses.

Noble Park kicked it off with three straight wins.

Fortunes have since shifted for both clubs.

FOGARTY HEAPS PRAISE ON VERMONT

SOUTH CROYDON'S 'TERRIBLE' START

On Saturday the Bulldogs made it three wins on the bounce when they overcame the Bulls by 13 points at a sun-smothered Cheong Park.

It was a third consecutive defeat for Noble, and it also lost defender Brenton Hillard to an ankle injury. A break was suspected as he was taken from the ground to hospital.

The Bulldogs took the lead for the first time when Pat Rosier made a set-shot in 12th minute of the second quarter, and they held it for the rest of the match, a two to three-goal buffer keeping the visitors at arm’s length.

But Noble Park was never out of it. And with little Luke Nelson sending an electric charge through the forward line they closed the gap to seven points early in the last term.

Captain Kyle Martin was pushing. Vice-captain Jackson Sketcher and ruckman Jake Gains were pressing. Nelson was starring.

But the home team found a steadier that began with Alex Birch receiving a 25m penalty and ended with Daniel Cooper slotting a goal on the run. It was appropriate that Cooper safeguarded the points: with 30-odd possessions on his wing he’d done much to win them for the Bulldogs.

South Croydon sings the song.

He was named best. But South Croydon could have filled its top six with its six backmen.

Former AFL pair Matt Jones and Max Warren cut Noble to ribbons with their dash and dexterous use of the ball off half back. Dale Walker took telling marks. And Jason Want took the eye with his reading of the play, his attack on the ball and his neat kicking.

There were other elements to the win. Former Melbourne-listed big man Max King kicked three goals and was always threatening with his marking (it took an emerging and exciting player in Bulls defender Ariek “Dell’’ Luak to limit his influence).

Robert Mallison punched through two classy goals with his left foot in the second quarter.

Daniel King’s goal in the final term for the Bulldogs couldn’t be ignored. His kick fell short but the ball took a wicked bounce and went through, luck with the South Croydon stalwart.

Captain Kyle Martin was outstanding for the Bulls.

When Noble Park coach Mick Fogarty referred to the “rub of the green’’ going against his side in the last quarter he might have been thinking about the King goal. He might also have been wondering about a couple of umpiring decisions — the 25m penalty to Birch and a free kick to the Bulldogs plucked by an umpire a long way from the contest. But overall the umpiring was excellent.

“It was a bit of a different team early in the year … we had a few new faces in there,’’ South Croydon coach Luke McCormick said after the match.

“But we really weren’t playing with the desire or the want or pressure that you have to play with at this level. It’s hot footy, Premier Division footy, and you have to play like that. And were are now, thankfully.’’

Noting the performance of his defenders, McCormick said: “Our backline has been good all year and realistically that’s where we won it today.’’

Fogarty said he couldn’t question his team’s effort, particularly with Hillard going down and key player Bailey Lambert playing under the duress of a shoulder injury.

He said the Bulls needed another win to instil confidence and belief.

“Under pressure at times we couldn’t execute … turned the ball over a bit … we just need to hang in there for longer,’’ Fogarty said.

He praised recruit Luak for his job on King.

“Some of his rebounding and the way he reads it early coming in …. sensational. Don’t want to put too much pressure on him but who knows how far how he can take his footy,’’ Fogarty said.

Both clubs have tough Round 7 assignments, South Croydon visiting Vermont and Noble Park hosting Blackburn.