By DAVID NAGEL
SOUTH East Football League fancy Narre Warren has a new foe to contend with after the Magpies had their wings clipped by an emerging Pakenham at Fox Road on Saturday.
Lock this one in the vault under “classic” with the Magpies and Lions producing a high-standard and free-flowing contest that went all the way down to the wire.
The lead changed hands at the end of the first three quarters – the Lions’ superb 7.4 to 3.1 first term answered with an 8.4 to 2.2 response from the Magpies.
Pakenham lifted its rating in the third quarter, kicking six goals to three, ensuring a hot finish to a cracking game of footy.
The Magpies looked to have broken the Lions in the final term but late goals to Damien Holmes and Russell Lehman, who had a terrific second half, got the Lions across the line in a thriller.
“I asked the players at half time to keep concentrating and keep sticking to the things they do well and, full credit to them, they played amazing footy and I was very proud of them in the end,” Pakenham coach Steve O’Bryan said.
Daniel Fry and Jake Smith kicked four each for the Lions but it was the second-half performance of Lehman, who kicked three goals after the main break while going toe-to-toe with Michael Collins, and a brilliant game from skipper Dean Blake that carried the Lions across the line.
Andrew Hunter had great game in the ruck for the Magpies, while Collins, Col McNamara and young big-man Jordyn Flannery all contributed heavily to a great contest.
Kerem Baskaya was the leading forward on the ground with five, but was held goal-less in the final term by Stephen Morey.
Doveton made it three-from-three with a grinding two-point win against ROC at Starling Road.
The Kangaroos looked to have the Doves measure in the final term, but late goals to Michael Laszczyk, and a set shot from Jordan Temopoulos at the 29-minute mark gave the Doves their second nail-biting win in succession after last week’s one-point thriller against Tooradin.
Ruckman Russell Gabriel was once again fantastic for the Doves while Shannon Henwood, Phil Nanfra and Michael Henry fought hard for some midfield ascendency.
Matt Clarke was dangerous with five for ROC while his team-mate Ben O’Loughlin was terrific in defence.
Cranbourne kicked 12 goals to two in the second half on its way to a 37-point win over a very disappointing Berwick at Edwin Flack Reserve.
There was no panic in the Eagles’ camp after Berwick had slammed on 7.5 to no score in the second quarter to turn an 18-point quarter-time deficit into a 29-point half-time lead.
Mat Fletcher and Max Gearon got plenty of the ball through the midfield for the Eagles, who had Michael Theodoridis boot five for the afternoon.
Berwick’s Mitch Johnson matched that output for the losers while Jo West and Jayden Joyce also played serviceable games.
Reigning premier Beaconsfield has overcome the Stephen Milne Show and a slow start to run out 51-point winners over Hampton Park at Robert Booth Reserve.
Milne, who came in under an injury cloud after rolling his ankle playing for Strathfieldsaye in the Bendigo league last week, kicked three goals and added some real interest as the Redbacks pushed the Eagles to their limits in the first half.
The Eagles lifted their intensity, banging on 7.5 to 2.0 in the third quarter in their only dominant period for the match.
Ruckman Scott Meyer slowly but surely got on top of a brave Billy Thomas, Daniel Mislicki and the returning Tyson Mitchem were busy through the midfield, while Taylor Joyce, five goals, and Chris Worner, four, were dangerous up forward.
For the Redbacks, Nathan Carver once again presented well at centre-half-forward while defenders Luke Nunan and Kane White were other impressive performers.
Tooradin had the bye.
