CENTRAL Altona’s David Innella pulled off one of the best individual performances of the Western Region Football League season when he booted an incredible individual haul of 26 goals on Saturday.
Innella had the ball on a string in Centrals’ 372point thumping of Brunswick Power in their Division Two game, taking his season tally to 66.
Central Altona kicked 59 goals against the struggling Power, moving from ninth to seventh on the ladder and lifting its percentage by 28 in one match.
Deer Park’s chances of making the finals in were all but dashed after it was beaten in a fivepoint thriller by Sunshine Heights on Saturday.
The odds are stacked squarely against the Lions with one round remaining in the regular season.
Deer Park would have to thrash fourthplaced Albanvale and rely on Wyndhamvale to lose to lowerplaced North Footscray by a considerable margin to have any hope of making the eight.
With everything on the line on Saturday, Deer Park controlled the first half and looked on track to pick up the four points when it led by 27 points at the main break.
But a damaging third term from Sunshine Heights brought it back into the game and it finished the stronger team to break the hearts of the Lions’ faithful.
At Cole Reserve, Wyndhamvale was out to make sure it secured the allimportant eighth spot in the finals when it faced Coburg Districts, and despite a nervous finish the Falcons hung on to win by six points.
Wyndhamvale controlled the match when it led by 42 points at the final change, but Coburg almost snatched victory with a sixgoal last quarter.
Reigning premier Altona secured the minor premiership with a commanding performance over topfour aspirant Glenorden by an impressive 50 points, pulling away in style in the second half. The Vikings have an unmatchable twogame lead at the top of the table ahead of an interesting final round hitout with the inform Braybrook.
Glenorden’s loss ended hope of a double chance for the finals, but the team cannot drop below fifth this week.
Fourth spot will belong to Albanvale, despite a 37point loss to Braybrook.
After leading at halftime, the Cobras conceded 10 goals while remaining goalless, removing any chance of an upset win.
Gladstone Park proved too good for the Western Magpies by 42 points, and in the lone Sunday game, West Footscray thumped North Footscray by 57 points.
