Northcote Park has returned to the winner’s list after an intense Northern Football Netball League Division 2 clash with Watsonia, coming from behind to win by four points at Bill Lawry Oval.
The lead changed six times throughout the match, with the Saints leading by 10 points early in the fourth term, before two goals from the Cougars’ Benjamin Augustus sealed a 7.12 (54) to 7.8 (50) win for his side.
Stephen Saddington’s side remains in fifth place after Round 9, as a big win by St Mary’s saw them jump the Cougars into the fourth spot.
Meanwhile, Watsonia still sits in eighth, having lost their last four matches, and are now eight points away from the top five.
Augustus finished with three majors after spending the first stages of the game in defence. He was fierce in the contest, with his game-winning goals a deserving reward for his efforts throughout the afternoon.
Alexander Boyse was another highlight for the hosts, standing strong in Northcote Park’s defensive 50, and causing multiple Watsonia turnovers that ultimately led to his side’s final-quarter surge.
Strong contributions from Damon Marcon and Brock McLennan were also catalysts to the Cougars’ victory.
For the visitors, Blake Charles had an important game up forward with three majors, the most he has kicked in a game since Round 2. One of those goals was a crucial major after the halftime siren to give the Saints the lead at the main break.
Harrison Sinclair was another key player for Watsonia, disposing the ball efficiently through the middle which created plenty of inside-50 marks for his team.
Charles was in the thick of the action from the opening few minutes of the game, taking an uncontested mark inside 50 before converting his set shot to kick the first of the match.
However, the game quickly shifted to being played primarily in Northcote Park’s forward half.
The territory dominance was rewarded 12 minutes into the quarter when Christopher Clark kicked a brilliant goal on the run from outside 50 to bring the deficit back to a single behind.
But Watsonia’s defensive pressure meant the Cougars were unable to be more damaging on the scoreboard, with multiple turnovers and intercept marks from the backline keeping the scores few and far between for the home team.
Quarter time came with both sides unable to be split at 1.2 (8) a piece, but as the wind picked up in the second term, the kicking efficiency from either team took a nosedive.
It meant scores were difficult to produce, but at the midway point of the term, the Cougars took the game by the scruff of its neck.
Majors from Damon Marcon, Benjamin Augustus and Michael Amad, all within the space of four minutes, saw the hosts drive out to an 18-point lead approaching time on.
Although just as the game threatened to break open, the Saints fired back, with Charles kicking his second goal of the game in impressive fashion before Khoury snapped truly to bring the margin to within a goal.
Efficient passages of play through the corridor were rare due to the intensity of the wind, but Watsonia managed to pull it off in the closing moments of the half, with some great transitional play finishing with a Charles contested mark and goal, to see the visitors lead by a point at the main break.
The momentum built at the end of the second quarter looked to continue into the third when James Lucente found the goals within 10 seconds of play to push Watsonia’s lead to seven points.
That then extended when Lucente had a second goal just minutes afterwards. Their 13-point advantage at this point of the game would prove to be their biggest of the afternoon.
Amad did his best to wrestle the momentum back towards the Cougars’ favour with his second goal of the day, and it seemed to work with the home side starting to keep the ball inside their attacking half.
But they could only muster behinds to round out the term and still trailed by five points at three-quarter time.
Brock McLennan nearly put Northcote Park in front within the first 30 seconds of the final term but sprayed his snap right, Watsonia went end to end in response, with Daniel Gervasoni’s first major of the season giving the visitors a 10-point lead.
However, it was the last moment of ascendency the Saints would have for the match as the Cougars flicked the switch to get the game back on their terms.
Augustus moved back inside 50 and kicked two goals within five minutes putting Northcote Park in front at the six-minute mark of the quarter.
Both sides tried desperately to find the goals in the final 20 minutes of the match.
The Cougars were the unluckier side, as they had multiple chances to extend their lead, but an extra goal would prove not to be required as despite the Saints’ best efforts, they couldn’t hit the scoreboard and eventually fell by four points.
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