Murphy Watt was one of Hoppers Crossing’s best players in its win over Sunshine on Saturday. 81911 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
By ADEM SARICAOGLU
HOPPERS Crossing improved its top four credentials with a hard-fought 26-point win over Sunshine at Kinder Smith Reserve on Saturday.
Down by five goals at half-time, Sunshine fought back to get within a point at the final change but could only manage one goal to the Warriors’ five in the final term to lose 15.15 (105) to 19.17(131).
Momentum swung both ways throughout the day as both sides looked keen to produce scoreboard pressure.
Eleven goals were kicked in the opening term but it was the Warriors who found themselves five points up at quarter-time.
Missing skipper Macauley Goring with a minor knee injury, the Kangaroos’ backline struggled to contain Luke Wilson and Kade Carey, who kicked six and four goals respectively.
Carey already had his four goals on the board by the early stages of the second term while Wilson continued to cause havoc around the stoppages.
Despite that Sunshine came out firing after the main break and kicked the first three goals of the third quarter to get themselves back into the game.
Ben McInnerley had the home crowd up and about when he goaled on the three-quarter time siren before Kieran Murphy put Sunshine in front four minutes into the final term.
However Hoppers Crossing, with a fierce three-quarter time rev-up from coach David Mitchell still ringing in their ears, managed to kick the last five goals to close the game out.
After the game Mitchell said his side let itself down in the third term, but responded well in the final quarter.
“They got on top of us with their intensity and we had a lapse there, but I put it on them at three-quarter time and they responded, it’s good to get the result,” Mitchell said.
“We lacked the intensity around our stoppages and getting that forward momentum and just doing the basic things right.
“There were guys that weren’t working hard enough in the third quarter but in the last quarter, all of a sudden blokes were coming off and they were stuffed, which gives me a good indication that their intensity was up and they were working hard again.”
Sunshine coach Brett Jacobs was visibly disappointed with his side’s efforts, and was blunt with his assessment.
“Not good enough, simple,” Jacobs said.
“I just think they worked harder than we did, simple as that. We didn’t work hard enough, we were lazy and we turned the ball over far too much.
“At three-quarter time (the message) was just to keep working, put pressure on them and generate our momentum. We got the first goal, but I thought we should have mounted a better challenge from there on in but we just fell away, the effort just wasn’t good enough.”
The Warriors remain fourth on the ladder more two games remaining before the finals series begins.
This week they take on fellow finals contender Spotswood at Hogans Road Oval.
