By TOBIE CHAPMAN
ESSENDON Doutta Stars have reaffirmed their finals contender status with a victory against Pascoe Vale.
On a soggy day Douttas fought off a tough challenge from their opponents to win by 10 points, the end score 12.12 (84) to Pascoe Vale’s 11.8 (74).
After going down by only three points against the undefeated Keilor last week, a win against an in-form Panthers side is an important step towards finals heading into the halfway point of the season.
Douttas now sits fourth, an impressive feat considering their newly-promoted status.
They were again led admirably by captain Shylo Smith who kicked two goals and was his usual influential self through the midfield.
Pascoe Vale will be disappointed with the loss, having led at the final break after trailing for much of the day.
Douttas jumped out of the blocks early, but the Panthers pulled the margin back in the second term to set the tone for a tight contest.
Heading into the final term the Panthers were ahead by four points, but Douttas found the legs to overrun them.
Key to the win was their versatility and lack of reliance on one key target, featuring nine different goalkickers for their 12 goals.
Patrick Veszpremi and Alexander Marklew both chipped in with two goals. Marklew now has 20 goals in his first season in the league.
Simon Clarke continues to provide strong output for Douttas, often flying under the radar but cementing himself as one of his side’s most important players.
Pascoe Vale again threw big man Jesse Wells forward and he delivered in spades, kicking four goals.
Daniel Harris’ strong season continued as he played a key role in reversing his side’s slow start.
Worryingly for Pascoe Vale, they’ve now lost to each of the top four sides. Their next clash against Strathmore in two weeks looms large with the Mores finding some strong form.
Douttas only sit fourth by percentage with Pacco, Strathmore, Maribyrnong Park and West Coburg all sitting on four wins as well, forming a congested and difficult battle for the last finals position midway through the season.
PASCOE VALE | 11.8-74
Goal Kickers: J. Wells 4, B. Warren 2, J. Polizzi 2, M. Ross, L. Forbes, D. Harris
Best Players: D. Harris, D. Soncin, J. Polizzi, J. Wells, L. Raven
ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS | 12.12-84
Goal Kickers: P. Veszpremi 2, S. Smith 2, A. Marklew 2, D. Landgren, R. Hicks, J. Brown, B. Meyers, C. Hughes, L. Ronaldson
Best Players: S. Smith, J. Allan, S. Clarke, T. Hartwig, A. Marklew, N. Sciberras
