By TOBIE CHAPMAN
WEST Coburg’s impressive start to the season continued after a gutsy win at Shore Reserve against Avondale Heights.
The Burgers held on for an eight-point win following an intense and exciting final term of football.
Leading by a single point at the final break and kicking against a strong wind, West Coburg’s worry would have been that they may not have fully taken advantage of the breeze in the third term.
However, having caused havoc all day for both sides, the breeze suddenly began to drop off as the teams took to their respective huddles.
Having kicked the last five goals of the game, West Coburg’s momentum continued as they burst out to start the term.
Debri Kutrolli goaled after some impressive ground work from big man Cameron Conlon, scooping up a loose ball deep in the pocket and firing off a handball to set up Kutrolli in front of goal.
It started to look grim for Avondale Heights after Danko Bzenic kicked his third major for the day, but they were able to find a miraculous reply soon after.
Scott Harding’s long bomb from the arc flew through hands and legs and took a Warne-esque leg break to go through for a goal, reducing the margin to seven points.
Avondale Heights continued to work their way back into the game, but struggled for accuracy in what were still difficult conditions.
Patrick Rose took a strong grab but pulled his shot to the right, in a string of missed shots on goal from the Heights.
Impressive skills from Charlie Nastasi created an opportunity for Matt O’Dwyer, who goaled to even the scores late in the term.
Just as they looked likely to rip the game open, indiscipline began to creep into their game.
Almost going at the ball and their opponents too hard, Avondale Heights gave away a number of free kicks in a row, the vocal away fans displaying their displeasure towards the umpires.
It cost them after a defensive mismatch resulted in Bzenic winning a free in the forward 50, and the verbal barrage the umpire received afterward resulted in him kicking the goal from directly in front.
It was a momentum changer, West Coburg finding a spark and Avondale Heights committing further on-field indiscretions as the Burgers found the rub of the green late.
Despite missing three shots at goal with one as a result of another 50-metre penalty for abusing the umpire, West Coburg managed to hold on for their third win of the season.
West Coburg had started the game well, kicking the first two goals of the game through Ruairi Cleary and Nicholas Papaioannou.
They dominated much of the early play, but lacked some composure and committed skill errors as both teams struggled to adjust to the wind and the narrow wings of Shore Reserve.
Avondale Heights opened the game up in the second quarter and found it easier to kick with the wind, piling on the first five goals.
Charlie Nastasi was everywhere, the midfielder playing an influential role and getting involved in a number of scoring chains.
The dangerous Heights forward quartet of Harding, Ben Davies, Scott Clouston and Rose all began to have an impact, each kicking a goal to open up a five-goal lead.
It was the Burgers who began to wrestle back control, and despite kicking into a strong breeze, they found two late goals through Marwan Abdulwahed, who shone for much of the day.
They trailed by 17 points at halftime, but found some success in the third quarter. Their inaccuracy was disappointing, but they were let off as Avondale Heights kicked only five behinds for the quarter.
Conlon began to work his way into the game, utilizing his height to mark in a contest and he kicked truly.
Bzenic was a handful up forward, the Heights defenders struggling to contain him as he brought the margin back to a single goal.
Abdulwahed’s good game continued as he goaled late in the term as West Coburg hit the front for the first time since early in the second quarter.
WEST COBURG | 13.17-95
Goal Kickers: D. Bzenic 4, M. Abdulwahed 3, R. Cleary 2, N. Papaioannou, J. Gloury, D. Kutrolli, C. Conlon
Best Players: M. Abdulwahed, A. Kelly, T. Pryde, T. Baravi, R. Hudson, J. Yelland
AVONDALE HEIGHTS | 11.21-87
Goal Kickers: S. Harding 2, S. Clouston 2, B. Davies 2, P. Rose 2, C. Nastasi, L. McCarthy, M. O''Dwyer
Best Players: N. Slater, L. McCarthy, S. Harding, M. Cravino, T. Russell
