EFL Premier Division: Vermont on the brink of equalling longest losing streak following Doncaster defeat
Doncaster staged a final-quarter fightback to topple Vermont on Saturday, leaving the EFL powerhouse on the brink of equalling its longest-ever losing streak.
Eastern
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Doncaster has overcome a heavy injury toll to post its fifth win of the season, leaving Vermont on the brink of equalling an unfavourable club record.
The Sharks rallied from 15 points down at three-quarter time to topple the two-time reigning premier, 8.8 (56) to 6.13 (49), booting 4.1 to the Eagles’ 0.3 in the final term.
The result consigns Vermont to a seventh-straight defeat – just one loss away from equalling its longest-ever losing sequence – eight matches.
An eight-match winless run has happened just twice in the club’s century-long history, from rounds 11 to 18, 1976, and Round 16, 2010 to Round 6, 2011. Vermont takes on a winless North Ringwood outfit next weekend.
Doncaster senior coach Chris Annakis credited his side’s fight despite losing three players within the first five minutes of the match.
Annakis and ruckmen Jake Spencer and Mark Jamar all left the field with “niggles” as the Sharks later rattled home with the wind.
“It was a grind all day … there was a decent breeze to the end we were coming home with and we knew if we were close enough we could probably come home and use that to our advantage,” Annakis said.
“It was a credit to our entire playing group yesterday – the guys really fought long and hard and dug deep and worked themselves into the ground to stay in the game.
“It was tough but we got there, which is probably why it feels even better.”
Nick Komen rucked “90 per cent” of the match and was “tireless” in the absence of the two ex-AFL big men.
Box Hill-listed defender Campbell Tweedie produced yet another best afield performance – his fourth this season among eight mentions.
“He’s just improving every week and he’s starting to understand and get a feel of the tempo and how the game’s played,” Annakis said.
“He’s reading it really well, he’s a great user and he’s got pace to break lines.”
Midfielder Kane Henden also stood out, while James Munks finished with two goals.
Vermont midfielder Alex Greenwood and James Fisher (two goals) featured among the best for the hosts.
The Sharks have now posted two wins in a row following the previous round’s 23-point win over Berwick, and Annakis says belief has built among his charges recently.
Losses to top-six outfits Balwyn (22 points) and Blackburn (12 points) have provided cause for optimism.
“We’ve taken some belief mostly out of the last month, a couple of results didn’t go our way in the first two weeks but going into Berwick, we really respect them as an opposition and know they’re going to fight,” Annakis said.
“For us to get that four-goal win was something we set out to do, and we got the job done.
“They’re (Berwick) not far off the mark by any means, so we knew we had a job to do and we did it and we took confidence from that and that rolls into yesterday, but we knew we had to execute to be a chance.”
Vermont now sits ninth on the ladder with a 5-8 record and is in danger of missing the finals for the first time since 2011. A two-and-half-game gap separates it from sixth spot with five home-and-away weeks remaining.
It sits just ahead of Doncaster (10th) on percentage.
The Sharks take on third-placed Doncaster East at Zerbes Reserve in Round 14.
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