TonyK
CibbuanoDogs pip Dees
May 7th 2010 12:50
Trailing by nine points with just four minutes left in the contest, the Bulldogs looked set to suffer their second loss in as many weeks after going down to St Kilda last Friday night but they lifted and kicked the the last two goals of the night to prevail 10.10 (70) to 9.12 (66).
It was the Dogs' fourth win of the season while the Demons slip to 3-4.
Shaun Higgins (32 possessions) and Daniel Giansiracusa (31) were busy contributors for the Bulldogs while late inclusion Josh Hill chipped in with two valuable goals.
For Melbourne, number one draft pick Tom Scully starred with a game-high 39 disposals while Nathan Jones (31) and youngster Jack Trengrove (26) were also proliifc in the middle.
Matthew Bate was lively up forward with three goals while Matthew Warnock did a superb blanketing job on Barry Hall, keeping the star Dogs recruit goalless.
The Dees had the same number of entries inside 50 as the Bulldogs in the opening stanza but they failed to capitalise, managing six behinds for the quarter.
The Dogs made more of their opportunities, booting three goals to go into the first change with a 14-point lead.
The margin blew out to 22 points early in the second term before Aaron Davey kicked the Demons' first goal of the game at the 13-minute mark.
Melbourne looked the better of the two sides for the rest of the quarter and went into the main break trailing by just eight points after Jamie Bennell booted a brilliant banana goal on the run.
As they did in the first two quarters, the Dogs managed a goal in the opening minute of the third quarter before the Demons responded with back majors to close to within one point.
Jason Akermanis halted Melbourne's momentum with a classy snap after dispossessing Scully before Hill kicked his second.
It appeared as if the Bulldogs would go into three-quarter time with a handy break but late goals from Scully and Jones reduced the Dogs' advantage to just three points heading into the final change.
The Demons got the crucial first goal of the final stanza through Bate to hit the front for the first time in the match.
When Danny Hughes booted his first goal in AFL football it seemed as if Melbourne would record an upset win.
But Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade's decision to swing Brian Lake forward paid dividends with the full-back kicking a goal before Ryan Griffen snapped truly from an acute angle to give the Dogs the lead with less than two minutes left on the clock.
MELBOURNE: 0.6, 3.9, 7.10, 9.12 (66)
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 3.2, 5.5, 8.7, 10.10 (70)
GOALS: Melbourne: Bate 3, Green, Davey, Bennell, Jones, Scully, Hughes
Bulldogs: Hill 2, Grant, Everitt, Boyd, Higgins, Stack, Akermanis, Lake, Griffen
BEST: Melbourne: Scully, Jones, Trengove, Warnock, Grimes, Bate, Bennell
Bulldogs: Higgins, Giansiracusa, Hudson, Cross, Griffen, Hill, Akermanis
INJURIES: Nil
UMPIRES: Donlon, Findlay, McBurney
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Jordan Roughead replaced by Josh Hill in the Bulldogs' selected side
CROWD: 45,444 at the MCG
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