By DAVID NAGEL
THE fine line between pleasure and pain may never again be so narrow after Narre Warren produced a last-minute miracle to win this year’s Casey Cardinia league premiership against Cranbourne.
The Magpies one-point victory was magical … almost illusionary … with one wave of their wand they conquered up a magic-trick never before seen in these parts.
Unbeaten and unrivalled for almost 16 months, it took an Andrew Hunter goal, then a Dylan Quirk point, with the last kick of the season, for the Magpies to turn around a six-point deficit with just 60 seconds left on the clock.
Amazing for Narre Warren … but heartbreaking for Cranbourne.
Quirk’s point gave the Magpies back-to-back titles, six premierships in eight years and provided a clean-sweep of all competitions this season. The Magpies 36th consecutive victory is also the longest winning streak in the 108-year history of the league.
It all looked so easy for the Magpies in the first half.
A four goal-to-one first term was highlighted by Kerem Baskaya’s 100th goal for the season, a low-key affair -“we had bigger fish to fry”- were Baskaya’s words after the match.
Justin Marriott was dangerous while runners in Jackson Parker, Ben Giobbi, Col McNamara and Quirk were winning plenty of the ball early. Matt Rus, Ryan Davey and Max Gearon were good for the Eagles.
The Magpies almost called the engravers at the 16-minute mark of the second term, an Aaron McIver snap over his left shoulder extending the lead to a game high 38 points.
Late goals to Gearon, and then skipper Marc Holt cut the margin to 29 by half-time but, more importantly, gave the Eagles hope and momentum.
The third quarter was an absolute classic.
The whole Cranbourne team lifted and Narre had no answers. When Justin Berry kicked truly at the 17-minute mark, remarkably, the Eagles had taken the lead. A Nick Scanlon master-piece steadied an ailing ship before late goals to Josh Tonna and Baskaya gave the Magpies a two-goal cushion heading into the premiership decider.
The last quarter was even better than the third.
Stu Morrish, who had been moved forward, found enormous space to cut the margin to six. Baskaya slotted his sixth for the day before a long bomb to Berry kept the Eagles in touch.
Then the stakes rose even higher.
Berry showed enormous desperation to dive on a Narre Warren boot in the centre circle; the resultant goal to Gearon squared the ledger. Amazing play.
When Curtis Barker won the next centre clearance, for the first time all day, it felt like the Eagles were in front. Gearon, who was now having a huge impact all over the ground, then sunk a magnificent set shot from outside 50 and the Eagles led by six.
A point to Hunter cut the Eagles back to five … 15.8 to 13.15.
The Eagles had all the run now, Justin Shields, Ryan Jones and Nick Barker were winning plenty of the ball on the outer wing, but the Eagles couldn’t convert.
Kain Baskaya’s intercept marking was proving crucial across half back but, at the 23-minute mark, a high ball to the top of the square saw Holt and Boyle, one-on-one, a mark to Cranbourne skipper would seal victory … but Boyle rushed a behind and the margin was an even goal.
Narre desperately forced the ball forward, Hunter, who was thrown forward, found space at the back of a marking pack and kicked truly from close range to level the scores.
Un-bloody-believable.
Twenty-four minutes gone, and Narre force it forward from the centre bounce, Parker brilliantly keeps the ball moving, a missed tackle, Scanlon to Quirk, oh no, he’s missed … it’s Narre by a point.
The siren sounds and Narre has broken the record … and Cranbourne hearts with the last kick of the day.
A look around the ground … the fine line between pleasure and pain has never been so narrow.
