The Creek Overrun by Willunga

Willunga and Langhorne Creek were both 2 wins, 2-losses going into today’s game – and both desperately wanted to win. The weather was perfect and the Willunga oval in tip-top shape.

The Creeks were quick out of the blocks and had three goals on the board in the first five minutes. Ruckman Keynes got them moving forward from the centre bounce and Bates drove them deep into attack. He passed to M Cleggett who kicked their first then Bates worked his way into a goalscoring position and converted. Kellock kicked their third. Willunga were unable to cope with Langhorne’s forward pressure. It wasn’t until the 10-minute mark that Hutchens and Beath combined to find Lee in space. He kicked Willunga’s first for the game. The Creeks again applied the pressure and the next ten minutes saw the ball move from one end to the other without a goal. It was Renney’s pace away from a boundary throw-in that created an opportunity for Sherry. He kicked the Demons’ second.

The second quarter started in a similar way to the first. Keynes won the tap, Clifford drove the ball deep into the forward lines and Dominish goaled. Both sides applied pressure and although Willunga dominated the next ten minutes, they kicked inaccurately. On a rare foray forward, it was Langhorne who found the middle of the big uprights: Dominish took the footy front-and-centre and snapped a great rover’s goal. Renney, Beath, Jed Redden and Lee each mi

ssed two chances to convert from set shots within the 50-metre arc. Bass soccered a much-needed Willunga goal after a scramble in the goal square. Beath and J Redden kicked out on the full and Willunga had failed to apply scoreboard pressure despite their dominance in the quarter. Renney scored a goal from the 50-metre line just before the halftime siren to give Willunga a 4-point lead, but that was a poor reward for effort considering they’d had 17 scoring shots to 8.

Langhorne

won the premiership quarter but it was their turn to kick inaccurately and leave the door open for the Demons. Clifford found space over the back and ran into an open goal to level the scores. Juckers asserted himself and won many possessions, often breaking free of tackles with his ability to twist and turn in tight spaces. He kicked one goal for the quarter but should have slotted another couple. Langhorne’s M Cleggett took a great mark under pressure between two Willunga defenders and kicked a long goal. Both teams missed opportunities towards the end of the quarter and when the three-quarter time siren sounded, the Creeks held a handy 10-point lead.

Willunga who had lost each of their last quarters this season, turned the tables in this crucial game: they kicked 6 goals to 3 to snatch victory. Willunga’s first came from a 50-metre penalty against Clifford. Turner played on and kicked long to where Bass kicked his first of three for the quarter. Kellock had a chance to equalise but failed to convert then Bowley and Hutchens got the ball into Tregenza’s hands - he kicked a long goal from the boundary. Dalitz and Kellock moved the ball quickly to Clifford who marked and goaled to give the Creeks back the lead. From a Langhorne kick-out J Redden took a strong mark and kicked long to 45 metr

es where Juckers flew from the side and held a great mark. He goaled from 45-metres - but again Langhorne bounced back. They forced the ball forward and across a crowded goal square where, somehow, Tonkin kicked accurately off the outside of his boot. When Dalitz bounced another through at the 24-minute mark to give the Creeks a 2-goal lead the game appeared to be over. But Mills and the Demon onballers won a centre square clearance and Juckers scored his second for the quarter. At the 28-minute mark Miegel forced a kick into Willunga’s forward lines: Bass took a strong overhead mark and kicked accurately to level the scores. Langhorne powered forward from the centre bounce but Willunga’s defence held tight and with only seconds remaining Miegel sent a high floating kick into Willunga ’s forward pocket. Bass stood tall and marked. The siren sounded. Bass’ kick from 30 metres split the middle to give the home side a great come-from-behind victory.