Greensborough comes from behind to pip West Preston-Lakeside

Good teams have to win ugly sometimes and Greensborough did just that on Saturday as two unheralded stars stepped up in match-winning moments.

Rayden Garrard in action for Greensborough. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Good teams find a way to win ugly, Greensborough did just that on Saturday.

The Borough overcame inaccuracy and a third-quarter lapse to come-from-behind and pip West Preston-Lakeside by five-points at War Memorial Reserve.

Last year’s NFNL Division 1 preliminary finalist was 11 points down early in the fourth quarter before storming home.

Rayden Garrard and Ben Ham kicked key goals to drag their team over the line, winning 10.15 (75) to 10.9 (69), and back into the top-five fight.

Ham held his nerve to slot the match-winner after catching Charlie Aitken holding the ball 20m out straight in front.

Angus Seivers in action for Greensborough. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Coach Matt Hyde was pleased to see his side pull four points out of the fire.

“It wasn’t the way we wanted to do it but it nice to see the boys grind it out,” Hyde said.

“We didn’t convert as well as we wanted to but we had most of the possession and forward entries until we had a lapse in the third quarter.

“To their credit they worked their way back into it, they’re super quick and managed to kick a couple of goals to get in front.

“I think they went to defend it and we just kept attacking until we grinded a way through.”

Greensborough looked in control in the first half, taking an 11-point lead to quarter-time and extending the margin to 13 at the half.

However, West Preston came out firing in the third quarter, piling on four goals to almost double their half-time score.

In contrast, the home team faltered in front of goal, kicking 1.4, to fall four points behind.

The Borough laid siege to the Roosters’ defence in the final term and could have finished the game off far earlier if not for a wayward 2.6 in front of goals.

It proved enough.

Boom off-season recruit Jackson Davies was named best afield in the win.

Tom Brindley, Ben Fisher, Jack Johnston, Angus Seivers and Ham also shone, while Lachie Hill kicked a match-high three goals.

The win was soured by a hamstring injury to Zak McCubbin.

Hyde heaped praise on Davies’ performance and was excited by Brindley’s return to form.

“Jacko is an intercept-marking machine,” he said.

“Numerous times they worked their way forward and he found himself, with an opponent, in the best spot to outmuscle them and mark.

“It’s probably the best game he’s played since he came to Greensborough, he’s a super person and probably a future leader of the club.

“Tom Brindley is starting to find his form.

“The shift from VFL to local footy full-time can be a tricky one and he’s worked really hard, so I’m pretty excited to watch him in the back half of the year.”

For West Preston-Lakeside, Liam McVeigh, Felix Dreher, Arben Dani and Lennox Williams stood tall.

The result sees Greensborough sitting sixth, now just two points behind fifth-placed North Heidelberg.

The win moves it a game clear of the Roosters and Eltham.

Hyde said his team needed to find better consistency in the second half of the campaign.

“The aim has always been to get to half-way on the positive side of the ledger, so we’re 4-4 now going into the last one against Bundoora,” Hyde said.

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“For the first five weeks we hadn’t won a last quarter and now we’ve won the last three, even against Heidelberg and Mont we managed to win the last quarter.

“We’ve been competitive, we play some incredible footy and then have a 10-minute lapse, so with the young group we’ve got we’ve got to maintain our concentration.”

Elsewhere in Division 1, Montmorency kicked seven goals in the fourth quarter to over-run Hurstbridge by 17 points, while North Heidelberg was too good for Eltham in a 21-point victory.

Heidelberg remains undefeated at the top of the ladder after a 114-point humbling of Bundoora and Banyule moved up to second place after a 28-point win over South Morang.