Foxtel Cup
Morningside defeated Launceston at Metricon Stadium
MORNINGSIDE has recorded a comfortable 33-point win against Launceston in the Foxtel Cup clash at Metricon Stadium, and in doing so booked its place in the qualifying finals of the competition.
The Panthers trailed by 19 points early in the first quarter as Launceston got the jump, but Morningside came storming back to chalk up a 12.10 (82) to 7.7 (49).
Giving away two silly 50-metre penalties didn’t help Morningside’s cause early in the game, but it lifted its work rate immensely to lead at quarter-time.
Midfielder Damien Bonney was workmanlike through the middle, while he also exhibited some classy work in traffic to gather a game-high 27 possessions.
Bonney was ably supported by Jamie Hackett (20) and Paul Shelton (17), while Stuart Seager (16) was an effective link-man through the middle of the ground.
Kent Abey (three goals) and Shaun Mugavin, cousin of Brisbane’s Jonathan Brown, (three goals from eight scoring shots), were clearly the Panthers’ most dangerous forwards.
For Launceston, dual Hudson medallist Brian Finch kicked three goals, while Tim Bristow (20) was hard at the ball in the middle and Sam O’Keefe (16) was damaging with his foot skills.
The Panthers consummated their lead in the third quarter as their on ballers started to get on top and their ball use was far superior to Launceston’s.
Launceston’s Sonny Whiting tried to keep his team in the hunt with a long running goal from 50m just before three-quarter time.
Despite this, Morningside led by 26 points at the last break and clearly looked to have the momentum.
They carried on in the last quarter as Mugavin created consecutive chances, before Blaine Delbridge delivered the knockout blow.
Finch kicked a consolation goal late in the game for Launceston, but in the end Morningside’s constant flow of forward entries inside 50 put too much pressure on the Launceston defence.
MORNINGSIDE 4.3 6.4 10.6 12.10 (82)
LAUNCESTON 3.2 5.4 6.4 7.7 (49)
Goals
Morningside: Abey 3, Mugavin 3, Brown 2, Amos, Bonney, Delbridge, Mollison
Launceston: Finch 3, Bristow, Ellis, Lee, O’Keefe
Best
Morningside: Bonney, Mugavin, Brown, Hackett, Elliott, Abey
Launceston: Bristow, O’Keefe, Finch, Wooley, Stephens
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/17333/Default.aspx#fixtureid=7903&tab=Recap
