Hills subdued again

By Justin Robertson
THE bog heap at Frog Hollows Reserve proved too much to handle for the Endeavour Hills men’s team, as they lost their third game of the year to league leaders Footscray on Saturday.
Hills coach Archie Kennedy believes it was the “small errors” and their inability to adapt to the wet and thick mud that cost them the match during their 15-22 loss.
“The win would have been nice but really, they played a lot smarter in the conditions than we did,” he said.
“It was closely fought all day, but we just did some things that went against us at crucial times.”
Footscray started on the front foot and scored first, and took control of the match and held the momentum going into halftime leading 10-3. But after the break, the Hills fought back and dominated the first 15 minutes of play, pressuring the away team into errors and reaping the rewards on the scoreboard. Trailing by seven points at half time, the Hills managed to take the lead (15-10) midway through the second half and looked like the better team.
Footscray worked their way back into the game with a quick converted try and the momentum had swung back into their favour at 17-15. The Hills struggled to clear the ball from their back half and the heavy conditions started to take its toll.
With not much time remaining, Footscray rubbed salt into the wounds of the Hills with a late try, putting the result beyond doubt.
“When we were put under pressure we made some poor options, so we definitely need to be more composed from here on in,” Kennedy said. “They’re a good side, they mauled well and made the most of their opportunities.”
This week, the Hills take on last year’s premiers, Geelong who have since lost a lot of key players.
“We can’t count anyone out at home; teams seem to lift an extra 15 per cent, so we’ll need to lift as well.”