Top two settle in for finals

CASEY Hockey Club’s four men’s teams remain in the finals hunt, with the top two sides sealing grand final berths on the weekend.
The well-drilled State League three side is a win away from promotion after fending off top-placed St Kilda-Powerhouse, 4-3.
This one was a ripper, featuring some stellar play from the supremely talented sides as they traded blows.
Darren James proved there is no substitute for experience, using all his guile to come home with a brace, while young gun Bryan Young and Matt Light rounded out the scoring.
The Cannons have a week’s break and face the winner of the preliminary final between Powerhouse and Old Xaverians, who defeated Knox in the eliminator.
The seconds had to rely on a freakish after-the-siren knock-in from Matty Gittus to win through to the big dance after almost squandering a 3-0 lead against top side Kew.
The Cannons’ Metro One East side looked to kill the contest early, running all over Kew in the first half, but only converting twice.
A third goal early in the second-half saw the Cannons ease off and allow Kew back in the door, which equalised with less than four minutes to go.
The scene was set by a penalty corner after the final bell.
The ball took a deflection from a strike by Jarrod Beckwith and made its way to Gittus, who somehow turned himself inside out and put it in the goal.
The 4-3 win earned the Cannons a week’s rest and they will now await the winner of Kew and Knox, who beat Mentone in the eliminator.
Metro Three South booked a preliminary final date with top side Knox by defeating St Bede’s in their elimination final.
In a high standard bout, the Cannons scored first through Tom Howard and got a double from Craig Moore, but the sides traded goals as neither could gain a crucial two strike cushion.
This one was highlighted by the play of the goalkeepers, with Cam Watts a tower of strength for the Cannons, matched only by the ability of the St Bedes keeper to make freakish saves.
The thirds had the game wrapped up, 3-2, with less than two minutes to go, but a defensive blunder from Chris Randall let St Bede’s tie the scores on the final siren.
Randall, it seems, was just setting it up for the big finale as the 15-minute extra time period yielded a thrilling golden goal victory to the Cannons.
It was cometh the man, cometh the moment, with the enigmatic Josh Hondow delivering the goods, firing in a hard chip that beat the keeper and ended the game 4-3.
After a flat first half, Hondow rose to the occasion in the second, partnering with Moore to cut a swathe through the St Bede’s defence, while Bryce Day played his best game of the season, providing plenty of drive up front.
The fourths squandered a 4-1 lead to lose 5-4 in extra time.
The top-placed Cannons were hit with a dose of reality as the big lead caused them to take the foot off the pedal, while Bayside lifted.
Goals came from coach Barry Harriman, Jeff Gillespie, Jeff Reidy and Dylan Triffitt.
The Cannons now face arch-rival Mornington in an elimination final.