TonyK
CibbuanoEagles down Dons
April 16th 2010 13:25
WEST COAST has broken through for its first win of 2010, downing Essendon by 23 points at Subiaco Oval on Friday night.
The Eagles kicked nine unanswered goals from late in the first term to early in the third quarter to establish a match-winning 52-point lead before eventually prevailing 15.11 (101) to 11.12 (78).
Some of the gloss was taken off the win for West Coast with star midfielder Daniel Kerr suffering what appeared to be a serious hamstring injury just before half-time.
Dean Cox (19 possessions, 30 hit-outs and one goal) and Nic Naitanui (13 disposals, 17 hit-outs, seven clearances and a goal) were instrumental in the victory while Matt Priddis was influential early, collecting 20 of his 30 possessions in the first half.
Andrew Embley was a busy contributor with 28 disposals while Beau Waters (28) was solid in defence.
Up forward, Mark LeCras kicked four goals while Josh Kennedy chimed in with three majors.
For the Bombers, skipper Jobe Watson led from the front with a game-high 34 touches while David Hille tried hard all night, finishing the match with 21 possessions, nine marks and two goals.
West Coast got off to a dream start with Naitanui winning the first clearance and pumping the football inside 50 before LeCras finished off the exciting 19-year-old's good work with a classy snap.
Essendon was soon on the board through Patrick Ryder but majors from Naitanui and Kennedy saw the Eagles open up an early mini-break.
The Bombers responded with four of the next five majors - two of which came as a direct result of West Coast turnovers - to hit the front before LeCras soccered home his second to give the Eagles a four-point advantage at quarter-time.
As he did in the opening stanza, Naitanui set up the first goal of the second quarter in the opening minute - this time for Brad Ebert.
It was all West Coast from that moment on with a long goal from Matt Rosa followed by majors from Ashley Hansen, Embley, Adam Selwood and LeCras as the Eagles went into the main break with a commanding 39-point advantage.
West Coast's half-time score of 11.8 (74) was the highest by any side so far this season.
Goals from LeCras and Mitch Brown saw the margin blow out to 52 points in the third term before Hille ended a 49-minute goal-scoring drought for Essendon with his first at the nine-minute mark.
The Bombers had the better of general play in the second half of the quarter but were unable to make any inroads on the scoreboard with the Eagles holding a 45-point lead at three-quarter time.
To their credit the Dons finished the match strongly, booting five goals to two in the final stanza to add some respectability to the scoreboard.
WEST COAST: 5.5, 11.8, 13.10, 15.11 (101)
ESSENDON: 5.1, 5.5, 6.7, 11.12 (78)
GOALS: West Coast: LeCras 4, Kennedy 3, Naitanui, Cox, Ebert, Rosa, Hansen, Embley, A Selwood, Brown
Essendon: Ryder 2, Hurley 2, Hille 2, Zaharakis 2, Williams, Reimers, Hooker
BEST: West Coast: Priddis, Naitanui, Cox, LeCras, Embley, Waters, Glass
Essendon: Watson, Hille, Lovett-Murray, Welsh, Fletcher
INJURIES: West Coast: Kerr (hamstring)
Essendon: Reimers (ankle)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Margetts, McBurney, Ryan
CROWD: 38,676 at Subiaco Oval
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