Southern league: Keysborough beats Doveton in thriller

The Burra hung tough in a nerve-racking finish to inflict Doveton’s first defeat of the Southern league season.

Tom Shaw takes a kick for Keysborough. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Keysborough coach Chris Smith hailed it “one of the better wins in the club’s recent history’’.

The Burra on Saturday did what no other team has been able to do this season: beat Doveton.

And they did it the hard way, coming from behind in the last quarter to hit the front and then grip on in a tense final few minutes to win by five points, 9.10 (64) to 8.11 (59), at Robinson Reserve.

“Geez, they’re a good side,’’ Smith said of the Doves.

“They were coming at us. We were 11 points up with about four minutes to go and then they just kept throwing everything at us.’’

St Kilda AFL rookie Josiah Kyle was playing his first game for Doveton since parting ways with the Saints this week.

Josiah Kyle is presented with his jumper by Doveton great Daniel Charles. Picture: Facebook

He kicked three goals and was named the Doves best and, according to Smith, looked dangerous throughout.

“He had me very, very nervous,’’ Smith said.

“That last four minutes, I was like, ‘oh, he’s going to do something’.

“He’s fast, he’s athletic and he’s just a good kid. I spoke to him after the game for a little bit and he’s just a really polite kid. Doveton are very lucky to have him.’’

Keysborough led by five points at half-time and Smith said his side’s preparedness to roll up its sleeves and get to work paid dividends.

“There was a wind to one end and we knew we had it in the last quarter,’’ he said.

“We said to the boys at half time, ‘we’ve got to be within striking distance’, and we just focused everything on defending in the third quarter and probably it was a bit scrappy to watch for everyone who came down but we did what we needed to do.’’

Keysborough coach Chris Smith. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Smjth said the Burra’s Seaford recruits Tom Shaw and Mark Di Blasio played starring roles in the win.

He said Shaw, who slotted three goals from centre half forward, was “the difference’’, while Di Blasio did a great job on Doves coach and key forward Michael Cardamone.

Smith said brothers Nick and Matt Beer were “incredible’’, while Cooper Balic was listed as Keysy’s best player after running with Doveton prime mover Shannon Henwood.

Cooper Balic.

Of Di Blasio, Smith said: “He played the role absolutely perfectly, fair, nothing stupid’’.

Smith said the game was played the right way, hard and fair.

“I think that’s what I loved about Doveton as well, they’re just a fair, disciplined side, it was a good game of footy, there was no garbage and that’s how it should be,’’ he said.

Keysborough has cemented third spot with a 7-3 record and looks to be marching to the Division 2 finals – although Smith is taking nothing for granted.

“Everything is working at the minute and we know how quickly it can change, so we’ve just got to be careful,’’ he said.

“We think next week is probably bigger than this week because we play Hampton Park and you want to back that performance up, we don’t want to drop off so now the focus turns to them.

“It will be another hard, tough game because the competition is so even, if you’re down five or 10 percent you’ll lose.’’

Keysborough’s reserves have won seven in a row, highlighting the club’s depth.