Orbost Snowy Rovers caused the upset of the season, knocking off unbeaten ladder leader Lucknow during round 13 of the East Gippsland Football Netball League last Saturday at Lochiel Park.
It was the Blues’ fifth consecutive win, having claimed victories over Wy Yung, Paynesville, Stratford, Lindenow and now the Magpies in a purple patch of form.
A season that looked dead and buried a month ago is now very much alive with the Blues currently fifth on the ladder, trailing the third and fourth-ranked sides Boisdale Briagolong and Stratford by just four points.
In the final four rounds of the season Orbost will play Boisdale Briagolong (away), Lakes Entrance (home), Wy Yung (away) and Paynesville (home).
If the Blues can maintain their current form and winning run, they will make the finals, but really need to win this week at the Cabbage Patch to keep the momentum and pressure on the Bombers and the Swans.
The close surrounds of the
Boisdale Recreation Reserve will suit the Blues, but the Bombers have had an early win with stoppage king Kelvin Porter only copping a reprimand for his interaction with Cats utility Norm Barry last Saturday.
With Lucknow going into the clash against the Blues without league best and fairest favourite Link McKenna, Orbost didn’t have to deal with a headache
that has hindered every team
this season.
McKenna’s elite fitness and running capacity got him to contests that other players
just can’t get too, reminiscent of Porter at his prime at Gippsland
League level.
After an even first term played in close with the teams feeling each other out, the Magpies asserted the ascendancy which has held them in good stead all season, kicking three goals to one opening up a handy 13-point advantage by half time.
Perennial club best and fairest Joel McNamara and skipper Jesse Glassborow were getting plenty of the ball for the Magpies and Andrew Nelson was proving to be a thorn in the Blues side, doing what he does best, intercepting marks or punching effectively.
But Orbost regrouped at half time, kicking three goals to one in the third term as inaccuracy set upon the Magpies, missing a couple of shots in the third quarter that it should have slotted.
Trailing by three points at the final break it was now or never for the Blues, whose season was on the line. Playing with their new-found confidence, they again kicked three goals to one in the final term and sensing an upset they went to another level, playing team football and scoring their most significant win of the past two seasons.
Gus Rogers, Tom Smith and Max Welsh all kicked three goals for the Blues, with John Gooch the major scorer for the Lucknow with three while Harvey Abraham kicked two.
Best players for Orbost were the rejuvenated Smith, Kieran Vickery, Charlie Mein, Welsh, Curtley Nettleton and Sean Nippress.
The Magpies were well-served by McNamara, Glassborow, Nelson, Logan Croucher, Rhys Perkins and Nick Mooney.
Lucknow will be looking
to bounce back quickly when it hosts Stratford, who will be eager to keep winning with Orbost Snowy Rovers looming
in the mirror.
