TonyK
CibbuanoEleven straight for Saints
June 6th 2009 07:51
ST KILDA has overcome a sluggish start to notch a club-record 11th straight win with a 46-point victory over North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Saints trailed by as much as 29 points but slowly worked their way back into the contest before running over the top of a brave Kangaroos side to prevail 15.13 (103) to 9.3 (57).
North was reduced to just 17 men on the field late in the final term after being decimated by injury.
The Roos have now lost their past two and are all but out of finals contention with just four wins from their first 11 matches.
Lenny Hayes continued his good form with a game-high 32 possessions while Jason Gram generated plenty of run with 31 disposals and one goal.
Hayes and Gram were well supported in the middle by Leigh Montagna, Nick Dal Santo and Luke Ball.
Up forward, Justin Koschitzke starred with a career-best six goals while skipper Nick Riewoldt chimed in with three majors.
For the Roos, Hamish McIntosh was influential in the ruck with 40 hit outs while former skipper Adam Simpson (21 possessions, one goal) tried hard all day.
Michael Firrito was a busy contributor with 18 touches, seven marks and one goal while Andrew Swallow was his side’s only multiple goal kicker with two majors.
The Kangaroos stamped their authority on the contest in the opening stanza, suffocating the Saints with their relentless pressure and moving the football quickly as they booted the first five goals of the match to skip out to an early 29-point lead.
St Kilda had to wait until the 31-minute mark for the first major with Dal Santo kicking truly from directly in front to get his side to within 22 points at quarter-time.
Despite dominating the clearances and entering inside their forward 50 12 more times than the Kangaroos in the first-half, the Saints still trailed by 13 points at the main break after kicking a wasteful 2.4 in the second term.
Goals were hard to come by in the third term with the first major of the quarter not kicked until the 12-minute mark through Swallow.
The Saints responded through Koschitzke and Riewoldt to level the scores before Swallow gave his side back the lead with his second.
But their joy was short-lived with late majors from Koschitzke and Clinton Jones giving the Saints a seven-point buffer at three-quarter time.
Fatigue was clearly starting to set in for the Kangaroos and the more experienced Saints took full advantage, slamming on the first four goals of the final stanza through James Gwilt, Koschitzke and Riewoldt to put the result beyond doubt.
NORTH MELBOURNE: 5.1, 7.2, 8.3, 9.3 (57)
ST KILDA: 1.3, 4.7, 8.10, 15.13 (103)
GOALS: North Melbourne: Swallow 2, Warren, Edwards, Thomas, Petrie, Firrito, Simpson, Ross
St Kilda: Koschitzke 6, Riewoldt 3, Schneider 2, Gwilt, Dal Santo, Jones, Gram
BEST: North Melbourne: Firrito, Simpson, Harding, Swallow, McMahon, McIntosh
St Kilda: Koschitzke, Gram, Riewoldt, Hayes, Montagna, Ball
INJURIES: North Melbourne: Warren (fractured cheekbone), Power (concussion), Wright (knee)
St Kilda: TBC
REPORTS: TBC
CHANGES: Edwards replaced Ziebell (illness) in North Melbourne's selected side
UMPIRES: Dalgleish, Wenn, Jeffery
CROWD: 30,962 at Etihad Stadium
The Saints trailed by as much as 29 points but slowly worked their way back into the contest before running over the top of a brave Kangaroos side to prevail 15.13 (103) to 9.3 (57).
North was reduced to just 17 men on the field late in the final term after being decimated by injury.
The Roos have now lost their past two and are all but out of finals contention with just four wins from their first 11 matches.
Lenny Hayes continued his good form with a game-high 32 possessions while Jason Gram generated plenty of run with 31 disposals and one goal.
Hayes and Gram were well supported in the middle by Leigh Montagna, Nick Dal Santo and Luke Ball.
Up forward, Justin Koschitzke starred with a career-best six goals while skipper Nick Riewoldt chimed in with three majors.
For the Roos, Hamish McIntosh was influential in the ruck with 40 hit outs while former skipper Adam Simpson (21 possessions, one goal) tried hard all day.
Michael Firrito was a busy contributor with 18 touches, seven marks and one goal while Andrew Swallow was his side’s only multiple goal kicker with two majors.
The Kangaroos stamped their authority on the contest in the opening stanza, suffocating the Saints with their relentless pressure and moving the football quickly as they booted the first five goals of the match to skip out to an early 29-point lead.
St Kilda had to wait until the 31-minute mark for the first major with Dal Santo kicking truly from directly in front to get his side to within 22 points at quarter-time.
Despite dominating the clearances and entering inside their forward 50 12 more times than the Kangaroos in the first-half, the Saints still trailed by 13 points at the main break after kicking a wasteful 2.4 in the second term.
Goals were hard to come by in the third term with the first major of the quarter not kicked until the 12-minute mark through Swallow.
The Saints responded through Koschitzke and Riewoldt to level the scores before Swallow gave his side back the lead with his second.
But their joy was short-lived with late majors from Koschitzke and Clinton Jones giving the Saints a seven-point buffer at three-quarter time.
Fatigue was clearly starting to set in for the Kangaroos and the more experienced Saints took full advantage, slamming on the first four goals of the final stanza through James Gwilt, Koschitzke and Riewoldt to put the result beyond doubt.
NORTH MELBOURNE: 5.1, 7.2, 8.3, 9.3 (57)
ST KILDA: 1.3, 4.7, 8.10, 15.13 (103)
GOALS: North Melbourne: Swallow 2, Warren, Edwards, Thomas, Petrie, Firrito, Simpson, Ross
St Kilda: Koschitzke 6, Riewoldt 3, Schneider 2, Gwilt, Dal Santo, Jones, Gram
BEST: North Melbourne: Firrito, Simpson, Harding, Swallow, McMahon, McIntosh
St Kilda: Koschitzke, Gram, Riewoldt, Hayes, Montagna, Ball
INJURIES: North Melbourne: Warren (fractured cheekbone), Power (concussion), Wright (knee)
St Kilda: TBC
REPORTS: TBC
CHANGES: Edwards replaced Ziebell (illness) in North Melbourne's selected side
UMPIRES: Dalgleish, Wenn, Jeffery
CROWD: 30,962 at Etihad Stadium
| 19 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
