Lower Plenty keeps its NFNL Division 2 season alive, defeating Thomastown
Billy Barden continued his renaissance season with six goals as Lower Plenty ended Thomastown’s campaign with a thumping elimination final win.
Northern
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Six goal from renaissance man Billy Barden has inspired Lower Plenty to a thumping elimination final win over Thomastown.
The Para Road Bears kept their NFNL Division 2 season alive with a 44-point triumph at Epping Reserve on Sunday.
Barden, who played his 200th senior game for the club earlier this year, has returned to form this season with 28 goals in 17 appearances, including 10 in the past fortnight.
The 2011 premiership captain booted two majors in the first quarter to get Lower started and the last two goals of the game to seal a 11.16 (82) to 4.14 (38) victory.
The match was halted briefly in the last quarter due to a lightning storm before the teams returned for the final eight minutes.
After a 103-point win over Panton Hill in the final game of the home-and-away season, coach Travis Stephens said the whole club was riding high on confidence.
“It was a strong performance, a good all-round performance,” he said.
“The last month has given the boys a lot of confidence, our footy has been pretty solid.
“All the boys are following the plan at the moment and it’s working beautifully.
“It was a bit of a statement, that’s the third time we’ve played them this year and we’ve beaten them each time.
“It was good for some of the young kids to play their first final, enjoy it, and obviously get the result.”
Lower jumped out to a 16-point lead at quarter-time and extended the margin to 17 at the half as Thomastown kicked 1.6.
The Bears controlled the third quarter but had inaccuracy issues of their own, booting 2.7, to extend the margin once again to 28 points.
A four-goal final term finished the game in style as the Main Street Bears kicked 1.6 again.
Midfield pair Tyler Wallace and Jasper Collins were the Bears’ best in the win, while elder statesmen Patrick Flynn and Jordan Sacco also impressed.
“Tyler was pretty solid in the midfield, he’s had a good year,” Stephens said.
“It was good reward for effort for him and Jasper too, he played midfield and forward as was good again.
Meanwhile, Barden looms as a key player as the club looks to keep its fairytale season going.
“Billy’s kicked 10 in the last two weeks, which helps,” Stephens said.
“He’s probably double some of the age of the young kids in there, he’s going alright.
“Hopefully he can continue it on for another couple of weeks.”
Lower faces Diamond Creek in the minor semi-final after its six-point extra-time loss to South Morang on Saturday.
DIV 3: MERNDA TAMES WEATHER, ENDS EPPING’S SEASON
LEADER: GET YOUR NORTHERN FOOTY NEWS HERE
DIV 2: SOUTH MORANG CLAIMS EXTRA-TIME THRILLER
The Creekers have won both matches this season, claiming a 42-point win at Montmorency Park in Round 7 and 41-point triumph at Coventry Oval in Round 16.
“They’ve beaten us twice this year but we’ve got a plan and now it’s just about executing,” Stephens said.
Thomastown did not list best players after the match and James Lucente was the club’s only multiple goalkicker.
The Bears’ finals win drought now extending to a decade, the last the 2014 Division 3 premiership.
Laurimar lands local footy goalkicking great
Laurimar has joined the NFNL Division 3 arms race, securing one of the Northern league’s greatest goalkickers for its return to the competition in 2025.
Why Truslove traded Sydney Swans for Banyule
After two years at Sydney Swans, Damian Truslove is back in the Northern league after being appointed Banyule coach. He explains the move and what excites him about the Bears.