Round 4: Lions, Demons & Photo Finishes

What a Saturday, five games that could have gone either way, and some fabulous performances from lots of players.

I was up at Bounds Green and the Oliver Tambo Recreation Ground, home to the North London Lions and two entertaining games between them and the West London Wildcats, plus a little bit of pre-game Auskick.

The opening game saw the table topping Women's Conference North London Lions, with three wins from three going into the game and an improving, hard-working West London Wildcats, in a repeat of the previous rounds fixture. The teams were given a guard of honour by the Auskick children as they entered the pitch; cue much "how cute was that" from most of the players.

The Lions were at it from the off, and, kicking down the slope they had the Wildcats pinned back for much of the quarter, but despite plenty of shots at goal, they were wasteful in front of the sticks, and it was behinds all the way, and at the end of the first quarter they held a 0.11.11 to 0.0.0 lead

The Lions struck the first goal of the game early in the second quarter, a ball into the 50 by Amber Golsby was collected by Jordan Lennon who converted from close range to put the hosts firmly in the driving seat. The Wildcats though were not going to go down with out a fight, and after a clearance from the Lions was well marked by Alexandre Sonnefeld, the Wildcats converted the set shot to get the visitors on the board. Almost immediately though the Lions stretched away again, a ball poked through a crowd was collected by Stephanie Daws who fired home to give the Lions a 2.12.24 to 1.2.8 half time lead.

Kerryn Musson increased the Lions lead early in the third quarter, gathering a loose ball and firing home, and after the Wildcats had put the ball out on the full when trying to clear their lines, the resultant ball into the 50 led to a scramble and Musson again gathered the loose ball to score her second, and take the Lions into the final period with a 4.14.38 to 1.2.8 lead.

The Wildcats reduced the deficit in the final quarter when a low dribbly effort by Hollie Passmore found the way through the sticks, only for Golsby to respond instantly. The Wildcats though did win the quarter with a couple of behinds, which will certainly give them something to build on.

For the Lions the 5.15.45 to 2.4.16 win made it four from four, and they are looking unstoppable at the top of the table.

The second, and final game of the day saw the Lions hosting the unbeaten Ealing Emus, and it was the Emus who got off to the perfect start as Jasper Krushka found Hamish Shaw, and Shaw struck to give the Emus an early lead. The Lions struck back though and a mark and conversion from Luke Hickey, and a couple of behinds saw the Lions take a 1.2.8 to 1.1.7 lead into the break.

For the Lions, that was pretty much as good as it got, as the Emus defence shut them down on every opportunity. The only goal of the quarter saw a wicked bounce in the 50 well gathered by Jarrod Bunker and his finish saw the Emus go ahead and it was a lead they were never to relinquish. The big break saw the Emus with a 2.4.16 to 1.3.9 advantage.

Shaw stretched the Emus lead from distance in the third quarter, and the game was effectively up when a ball into the 50 from the right dropped into the path of Jonathon Rhodes who fired a low effort through the crowd to put the Emus 4.5.29 to 1.3.9 up.

The final quarter was more a battle of attrition, with little to trouble the scoreboard, and as the final siren sounded, the Emus had recorded a 4.7.31 to 1.3.9 win, and make it three from three to start the campaign.

Elsewhere, and it was a busy day in Clapham, where the Demons hosted the South East London Giants in the Men's Social and Women's Conference, and the West London Wildcats in the Men's Premiership, Men's Conference and Women's Premiership

The day at Clapham began with a Demons v Giants double header, and opening the proceedings was the Men's Socials.

A thrilling encounter ensued, and the Giants took a narrow lead at the end of the first quarter, heading the Dees 2.1.13 to 1.2.8. The second quarter saw both sides fail to score a goal, and with only a behind apiece, the Giants took a 2.2.14 to 1.3.9 lead into the big break.

The third quarter saw the Demons strike the only goal, and a couple of behinds saw them hit the front for the first time, as they took a narrow two point lead into the final period, heading the Giants 2.5.17 to 2.3.15.

Both sides goaled in the final quarter, but with no behinds it meant the Demons had won a thriller by 3.5.23 to 3.3.21. On target for the Demons were James Noske with two and Damian Holland, whilst Christian Passalacqua, Lincoln Powley and Sam Schauble on target for the Giants.

Next up was the Women's Conference clash, and unlike the first game, the Giants blew their Demon counterparts away. Leading 2.1.13 to 0.0.0 at the end of the first period, the Giants stretched their lead to 27 points at the big break, going in 4.3.27 to 0.0.0 ahead.

A cagey third quarter followed with the Giants adding just two behind to their total and leading 4.5.29 to 0.0.0 as the teams headed into the final period. The game was put to bed in this quarter with another three unanswered goals for the Giants, and they ran out 7.8.50 to 0.0.0.

On target for the visitors were Abbey D'Cruz and Ellie Hyner with three each and Georgina Alvarez with one.

The Giants are sitting second in the table, with the Demons in third.

Game Three saw the start of the Demons Wildcats triple header, and it was to the Men's Conference we headed and the Shepherds Bush Raiders were in town. The Demons had been well beaten by the Raiders in Round Two and were out for a better result this time.

The Raiders made a promising start to the game and after the first quarter they held a 1.2.8 to 0.2.2 lead. However the Demons came fighting back in the second period and a goal and three behinds whilst keeping the Raiders scoreless saw them take a 1.5.11 to 1.2.8 lead into the half time interval.

The Demons increased their lead in the third quarter, with two further goals and restricting the Raiders to just one goal, taking their lead to nine points, at 3.6.24 to 2.3.15 as the teams headed into the final period.

Having opened up a gap at the end of the third quarter it was all the Demons in the fourth quarter, and they pulled away, to end up winning 6.9.45 to 2.4.16

On target for the Demons were Nicholas Mayne with three goals and one each for Jay Bliston, Connor Standish and Max Worbenoff, with Bailey Neate and Max Glass replying for the Raiders.

The London Swans sit top of the table with two wins, whilst everyone else has a win apiece.

It was a Grand Final repeat next as the Demons and the Wildcats clashed in the Women's Premiership. This was a tense cagey affair, with the bulk of the points coming in the opening quarter.

The Cats leapt out to a 2.2.14 to 0.1.1 lead at the end of the quarter, courtesy of goals from Sarah Vague and Iona Williams, and that in terms of goals was that.

The Demons won the second quarter with one behind, to go into the big break 2.2.14 to 0.2.2 behind, and the Wildcats stretched away in the third quarter to hold a 16 point lead, 2.6.18 to 0.2.2 going into the final period.

The Demons came out on top with three behinds to one in this quarter, but the Wildcats remained unbeaten picking up a 2.7.19 to 0.5.5 win.

The final game of the day saw an exciting clash in the Men's Premiership, where the Demons and Cats went toe to toe with the Dees finally shaking off the Cats in the third quarter.

The opening quarter saw the Demons leap out to a 3.1.19 to a 1.1.7 lead, before a thrilling second period saw both sides hit four goals and numerous behinds with the Demons still holding a lead albeit one reduced to nine points, the Dees leading 7.1.43 to 5.4.34.

The third quarter saw the Demons stretch away scoring four times, with only two coming from the Wildcats in reply, and the Demons led 11.1.67 to 7.4.46 and their accuracy being a key component of the lead.

Into the final quarter, and both sides were again making the scoreboard operators work, and come the final siren the Demons had run out 12.3.75 to 8.6.54 winners.

On target for the Demons were Blake Grewar (4); Brayden Irving (3); Joel Comito (2) and one each for Sam Barton, Kyle Cooper and Jonathon Newton-Jacobs; with Isaac Kenna, Sam McInerney, Will Richmond and Sam Threlfall all with two each responding for the Cats.

Finally on the South Coast, the Sussex Swans took on the Wimbledon Hawks in the Women's Premiership and the Reading Kangaroos in the Men's Socials.

The Women's Premiership was an absolute classic, with the game in the balance all the way through to the end. The sides were close at the end of the first quarter with only behinds separating them, as the Wimbledon Hawks took a 1.3.9 to 1.0.6 lead.

The Swans looked to have blown the game wide open in the second quarter when four goals on the spin saw them leap out to a 5.1.31 to 1.5.11 lead. The Hawks though came roaring back in the third quarter, and having kept the Swans scoreless a spell of three goals and three behinds gave the visitors a 4.8.32 to 5.1.31 lead going into the final period.

A tense period followed with the Hawks notching the all important goal, and picking up their first Premiership win, running out 5.8.38 to 5.3.33.

Finally and in the Mens Socials, the Sussex Swans made it two wins from two as they held of a late fourth quarter comeback from the Roos.

The Swans had much the better of the opening quarter but were wayward in front of goal, however they still took a seven point lead into the first quarter break, 0.7.7 to 0.0.0, and they were to be wasteful in the second quarter just adding a couple of behinds, as the Roos notched the opening goal of the game and cut the gap to three points going into the big break, Swans leading 0.9.9 to 1.0.6

The Swans blew the game apart in the third quarter, with goals Anthony Chiu and Harry Urwin, plus another eight behinds stretching their lead to 2.17.29 to 1.0.6

The Roos notched another goal in the fourth quarter and three behinds, but it wasn't enough and the Swans ran out 2.17.29 to 2.3.15 winners

Now, call me crazy, but with all the big points going in one direction, it certainly sounds as if the Waterhall wind was a factor.

I'll be off to Reading tomorrow for Round 5, and their clash with the North London Lions in the Men's Socials with fixtures also due to happen at Hackney Marshes and Motspur Park.