By David Nagel
Five teams will chase two finals spots in Eastern Division One over the next four weeks of footy and Beaconsfield is leading the charge after a dour 11-point victory over Mooroolbark at Holm Park Reserve on Saturday.
For the second time this year, the Eagles kicked a goal after the final siren against the Mustangs to turn a one-kick game into two.
Jafar Ocaa kicked one after the buzzer to make it a seven-point victory in round five, while Michael Misso had the privilege on the weekend.
While South Belgrave, Mitcham and Montrose have cleared out from the pack, the Eagles sit fourth, leading a mid-table log-jam alongside North Ringwood, Bayswater, Wantirna South and Mooroolbark.
The Eagles have games against Wantirna South (seventh), Montrose (third), North Ringwood (fifth) and Lilydale (last) to come…meaning their destiny is still well-and-truly in their own hands.
Coach Mick Fogarty made four changes for the big clash against the Mustangs, with star forward Matt Johnson making a welcome return to the team, alongside defenders Josh Mounter and Sam Merrick and under-19 player Connor Mouat.
All four would play key parts in the victory, which was gradually attained after an inauspicious start to the contest.
Mooroolbark had the better of the opening exchanges, with midfielder Austin Smith getting his hands on the footy, leading to goals to Trent Georgiou, Jackson Gilbee and Braedon Dobie.
Johnson – playing predominantly for Frankston VFL this year – had the only answer for the home side, who were lucky not to be further behind with a 3.5 to 1.3 scoreline at the first change.
Beaconsfield regained ascendency in the second term, with co-captains Jake Bowd and Damien Johnston converting to narrow the margin to a point.
Second-ruck Casey Wassylko then nailed a set shot after a centreing ball from Ocaa to give the home side the lead for the first time in the match.
The Eagles led by a straight kick at the main break, before a see-sawing third quarter set up a thrilling final term.
Dobie kicked the first of the second half, before Johnson showed his class with a clever snap from the pocket after a costly Ryley Monkhorst turnover.
Dobie, who was proving a menace, then snuck cleverly into an open goal to give the Mustangs the lead…14 minutes into the third.
Myles Currie then kicked truly after a slick handball from Johnson to give the Eagles a three-point advantage at three-quarter time.
Fogarty had seen enough of Smith’s dominance, and gave Ethan Harris the task of curtailing the classy mids influence in a critical final term.
If the Eagles prevailed, they moved two games clear of the Mustangs, while a victory for the visitors would see them join Beaconsfield on six wins each for the season.
The Eagles started brightly, with Sam Mackinder finding Johnson on the lead to open up a nine-point lead after three minutes of play.
Georgiou then nailed a terrific set shot to cut the margin back to four as eight minutes ticked by on the clock.
Mackinder then rubber-stamped his influence on the final term with a crucial forward-50 intercept, marking a kick from Mustangs’ ruckman Paul Thatcher and slotting one through the big sticks.
Midfielder Kane Noonan then found too much space in the forward half, kicking a nice snap for the Mustangs to cut the margin to five points at the 21-minute mark of the fourth.
The Mustangs looked set for a forward thrust a short time later, but Mackinder applied pressure at a crucial juncture to undo the visitors’ good work.
Johnson then marked at half forward, and took three bounces, before finding Misso directly in front…20 metres out from goal.
The siren sounded, with the Eagles securing the four points…before Misso put the icing on the cake.
Johnson was the only multiple goal-kicker for the winners, with four, while Bowd, Merrick and Harris did important things, at important times…during a high-pressure second half.
Harrison Coe dealt well with the physical presence of Monkhorst and Thatcher in the ruck, while Mouat showed some very promising signs across half back.
He intercepted well and produced a clean pick-up at top pace that only very talented footballers can do.
The Eagles head to Wantirna South this week for another season-defining challenge against a top-five contender.
BEACONSFIELD 1.3 4.5 6.6 9.8(62)
MOOROOLBARK 3.5 3.5 5.9 7.9(51)
Beaconsfield Goals: M. Johnson 4, S. Mackinder, M. Currie, J. Bowd, C. Wassylko, M. Misso. Best:
J. Bowd, S. Merrick, E. Harris, T. Stokoe, H. Coe, C. Mouat.
Mooroolbark Goals: B. Dobie 3, T. Georgiou 2, J. Gilbee, K. Noonan. Best: A. Smith, K. Noonan, L. George, R. Monkhorst, S. Kennedy, H. Keeling.
Other Results R14: Bayswater 6.8.44 def by South Belgrave 14.9.93, Montrose 14.24.108 def Wantirna South 5.9.39, Mitcham 20.14.134 def Lilydale 5.7.37, North Ringwood 11.12.78 def Croydon 4.8.32.
Ladder: South Belgrave 56, Mitcham 44, Montrose 40, Beaconsfield 28, North Ringwood 28, Bayswater 24, Wantirna South 24, Mooroolbark 20, Croydon 16, Lilydale 0.
Fixture R15: Wantirna South (7) v Beaconsfield (4), South Belgrave (1) v Mitcham (2), Mooroolbark (8) v Lilydale (10), Croydon (9) v Bayswater (6), North Ringwood (5) v Montrose (3).
