General News
10 August, 2023
Mind the gap: it's now smaller
FOR years Pyramid Hill has been dominant against Inglewood - the top Dogs from Mitchell Park always the more polished and skilled outfit. This year’s Loddon Valley season indicated things would be no different when the Dogs romped home by 10 goals...
FOR years Pyramid Hill has been dominant against Inglewood - the top Dogs from Mitchell Park always the more polished and skilled outfit.
This year’s Loddon Valley season indicated things would be no different when the Dogs romped home by 10 goals in May.
Fast forward to the final fortnight of the home and away season and Pyramid Hill has had one of its worst injury runs in that two decades of superiority over Inglewood and many other teams in the league.
And while the team is coming back at the right time - Steven Gunther, Billy Micevski and Lachlan Sidebottom were weekend inclusions for the league match of the round - the Dogs had key players like Dylan Collis and Zac Dingwell missing.
The Blues are building momentum and that showed on Saturday when they came within three goals mid-way through the quarter before going down by 25 points.
Every time they started to get a run-on, usually through the work of Fergus Payne who kicked three goals and was named the Blues’ best, Pyramid Hill responded.
Seb Relouw was crucial in defence for the Dogs, snuffing out multiple forward lunges by Payne, Lowe and Cotchen.
Will Perryman, Steven Gunther and Billy Micevski linked in around the midfield and up forward to keep the buffer.
Cotchett, Bowen Cauchi and Payne teamed well for Inglewood to secure a much-needed goal for Inglewood late in the third only to see Perryman feed the ball to Jack Woodward for a quick Bulldog response.
Perryman booted another from 45 metres out coming off the bounce and Harrison Goodes showed his top skills near the siren, scooping the ball from the ground and giving Pyramid Hill a six-goal lead at the final break.
Inglewood, after recovering from a sluggish start to the match, was facing a customary blowout against Pyramid Hill.
They started the final term peppering goals - kicks falling short or being rushed through.
Alex Lowe broke the ice for a goal that would be the first of four for Inglewood as the Blues outscored Pyramid Hill.
Daniel Polack was dynamic in defence but the Dogs were delivering effective tackles with Zach Alford on fire.
The super 50-metre roost from Jayden Leach put Inglewood back within three kicks before Alford kicked his second for the day and, for now, kept Pyramid Hill as top dogs.