ROYALS and North Albany both secured wins in Round 13 of the Great Southern Football League on the weekend to increase their lead on the rest of the competition.
North Albany slammed on seven goals in the second term to set up a big win over the hapless Denmark-Walpole side on Saturday at McLean Park.
The nine-goal lead the Kangas held at half-time was narrowed slightly after the long break, but those two goals were the last the Magpies would score for the game.
Grant Corcoran and Matt Beaton won plenty of the ball, and along with youngster Julian Crudelli, who booted three goals, were prominent for the visitors.
Jeremy McGovern, who made an outstanding debut the previous week, was again in the thick of the action.
The young Kanga kicked four goals to be amongst the better players.
Four late North Albany goals extended their lead to 68 points at the last change before they dominated possession in the final term to win 19.13 (127) to Denmark-Walpole 3.8 (26).
It was the Magpies’ biggest losing margin for the season and leaves them languishing at the bottom of the GSFL ladder, while North Albany now have a two-week break before tackling the Bulls on July 19.
At Frost Park in Mt Barker, the home fans were looking for an upset win over top-of-the-table Royals, but it wasn’t to be.
Aaron Williams and James McRae got the ball rolling for Royals as they added goals with the breeze to see their side lead by 14 points before a late Bulls’ goal reduced the margin.
That major was the first in a run of five consecutive goals for the home side, and the three-goal advantage the Bulls held opened some cracks in the Royals’ defence.
Steven Rioli was again in everything for Mt Barker, winning a number of clearances, and he received good support from Sam Lehman and Peter Taylor.
It took some individual brilliance from Royals’ midfielder Cleve Humphries to bring his side back into the game.
Humphries nailed two vital set shots into the breeze before half time and then executed a magnificent kick from the pocket early in the third term to give his team the lead.
The blue and whites never looked back from that point and added the next eight goals of the game as the Bulls came to a virtual standstill.
Royals’ forward Aaron Williams added to his tally to finish with six goals and Jamie Bolton joined the party late in the game to finish with three.
The final score showed the dominance of Royals after the long break as they won the game 14.16 (100) to the Bulls’ 6.8 (44).
Best for the winners were Ryan Kinnear, Kayne Hamilton and Richard Cronin, while for the Bulls, Clint Hambley and Nathan Skinner joined Rioli 0n the best players list.
Sitting three games clear on top of the ladder, Royals now host Railways at Centennial Oval in what is sure to be another tight contest.
Last time the two sides met, Royals won by 11 points in difficult conditions at Tigerland and this contest should be just as tight.
Railways are coming off the bye and have had a chance to regroup after their heart-breaking, last-minute loss to the Bulls in Round 12.
The Tigers look likely to finish the home-and-away series in third spot, enabling them to host the first semi-final, possibly against Mt Barker on August 29.
In the other Round 14 game this Saturday, Denmark-Walpole host the Bulls in a game where a loss would officially spell the end of their finals’ hopes for season 2009.
The Bulls are two games clear of the Magpies in fourth spot and will be looking for a repeat of their 56-point victory in Round 9.
While Mt Barker have improved significantly in challenging the top sides, Denmark have struggled and must now look to rebuilding a competitive side for 2010.
With a host of youngsters and experienced coach Mick Mustey at the helm, the Magpies have an opportunity examine their list and assess where they are at as the season draws to a close.
Both games this weekend will be held on Saturday to give players representing the GSFL at the Landmark Country Championships an extra day’s rest before the carnival commences next Thursday.
In the reserves games played last weekend, Hayden Burling booted four goals to lead Royals to a 42-point win over Mt Barker, while North Albany kicked the last 16 goals of their game against Denmark and eventually won by 98 points.
In the colts, Royals maintained top spot with a win over the Bulls, while the Albany Sharks sewed up fourth spot with an upset win over Railways.
A low-scoring contest in Denmark saw North Albany just hold on for a two-point win against the home side.
The Magpies’ Colts have not won a game so far this season but nearly pulled off the mother of all upsets against the second-placed Kangas outfit.
– Daniel Wiseman.