A late charge by St Marys wasn’t enough to beat GFNL ladder-leaders Newtown & Chillwell at Elderslie Reserve on Saturday.
The win sees the Eagles remain undefeated, holding on to win the Round 7 clash by eight points over the Saints 9.10 (64) to 7.14 (56).
Newtown started strongly, holding a 24-point lead at half time but the Saints came home with a wet sail to level the scores with only minutes left in the final quarter.
Coach Damien McMahon told K rock Football there was a moment of concern, but the team was well prepared.
“There’s no doubt they were surging pretty hard,” he said.
“They started to get us around the clearances, they were superior to us in that area of the ground, and we gave up a fair amount of territory.
“I thought the last couple of minutes in the game, we hit the front and we managed to control the ball and do what we’ve been practicing for a long time and that was probably the catalyst to hold on and win.
“I felt we were well prepared if we ever got in that situation, when the scores were level and it looked like being a draw for a period of time, I thought we managed to have some really good control, defend really hard and not let them get the next goal or the next behind.”
McMahon said Matty Lloyd was a difference maker as he stepped down from the VFL this week.
“Any game we get out of him we know is going to be a good one.
“He’s a talent.”
McMahon explained he gave Lloyd a fairly free hand, moving him around a number of positions.
“It would have been hard to keep up with what he was doing. He does play the length of the ground, he’s a great runner and he was impressive today.”
Another standout player was Archie Sinnott, whose two goals came at critical times.
“The couple of goals he kicked were instrumental,” McMahon said.
“He had a long bomb just before the siren at half time, which gave us a nice buffer and put us in a good position at the end of the second quarter.
“His goal late in the game, a nice snap on his left, was good timing for us as a team and great for his confidence.”
The loss drops St. Marys to third place on the ladder, with the Saints looking to bounce back against Grovedale in Round 8.
Next week the Towners take on second-placed St Joseph’s at Herne Hill.
Twitter: @krockfootball
By: Craig Watson
