Gawler Central made the most of the opportunity to put a gap between themselves and the other contenders to Tanunda’s throne with a 13-point win at Freeling on the weekend.
Despite leading by just nine points at quarter time it was clear that the Tigers had the upper hand and it was up to Freeling to respond.
Redlegs coach Mal Greenwood changed the entire style of the game by having his team play one-on-one at the stoppages to close the game down. This served to bring Freeling into the contest as Greenwood began to get his hands on the ball in close and his impact on the game was tremendous.
However, Central enjoy the one-on-one style and were patient enough to take their chances when they came.
Kirk Heberle was the Tigers’ shining light in the first half despite being closely checked by Shane Schubert who has the strength and nous to shut good players down.
Heberle was able to use his veteran cunning to lose Schubert in traffic several times and made the Redlegs pay by slotting three goals.
At the other end, Lee Corneliusen did a great job holding giant Redleg forward Luke Mensforth to just four goals which goes a long way to beating a team that has struggled to uncover a consistent second avenue to goal in 2011 because of injuries to key players.
Damien Hillebrand’s rebound from half back was another key factor for the Tigers in defence while Central captain Scott Hahn’s defensive pressure in the forward line once again set the standard for others to follow.
Leading by just a goal at three-quarter time, Central coach Craig Dawe demanded more from his players in certain areas.
“We just had to keep persisting with our plan,” Dawe said.
“Our stats on team sacrifices were down and I told them that we needed a lift. To the boys credit, that stat in the fourth quarter was our best for the year.
“We spoke about work ethic and needing to keep the pressure high. It was great to come away with a win against a team like Freeling that has some dangerous players.
“Lee’s (Corneliusen) job on Mensforth was huge. The young fella has been getting better each week as his confidence grows,” Dawe said.
Mensforth’s four goal haul was supported by a pair from Travis Muster but the Legs could manage just another three goals, all to individuals while the Tigers had Paul Bova with four goals (taking him to 39 for the year), Hahn and Heberle each with three and Central’s ‘best on ground’ Jason Blakemore with a single to complete an even spread.
It was Blakemore’s performance that excited Heberle.
“He was good all game but his fourth quarter when the game was there to be won was simply sensational,” Heberle said. “It’s a great example of what he can do.”
Freeling has the bye next week to try and regroup for a run at the second half of the season.
Gawler Central travel to face an unpredictable Angaston team but know they must keep winning to maintain their standing in second spot.
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