IT WAS not
pretty but it was effective
as Leeton-Whitton continued
its winning form over
Coolamon at Leeton
Showground on Sunday.
The Crows
ground out a 10-point
victory in good conditions
as the match proved how
little there is between the
top five Riverina league
teams in 2009.
Needing a win
to ensure its fifth position
on the ladder, the Crows
took it up to the then
second-placed Hoppers and
dominated possession in the
first quarter.
Not that it
showed on the scoreboard,
with both teams registering
just one goal each and the
difference being the home
side's six sprayed behinds.
This
inability to put pressure on
the board came back to haunt
the Crows in the second as
Coolamon put on 2.3 to
Leeton-Whitton's two
behinds.
Coolamon
kicked its goals in a flurry
early, but it took
Leeton-Whitton 17 minutes to
have a serious shot on goal.
The Crows
were winning plenty of ball,
but the players seemed
unable to do anything
constructive with it.
"The second
quarter was ordinary," said
coach Matt Smith.
"There had to
be a few home truths told
and to the credit of all the
players, they responded."
Using the
maximum time available to
speak to his players paid
off for Smith as the game
was played in the Crows'
attacking half after the
long break.
Jamie
Broadbent, Bradley Boots and
Paul Scoullar set up a
defensive wall across the
middle that the Hoppers
could not get past.
After nine
minutes and a great tackle
by Jacob Wessing, Boots
slotted the first for the
quarter and five minutes
later Smith had the second
thanks to a strong mark and
good build-up courtesy of
Liam Frazer, Wessing and
Broadbent. Coolamon goaled
and the Crows sprayed the
ball again but a down-field
free kick and 50-metre
penalty put Smith in the
square to end the quarter
with a goal and giving
Leeton-Whitton a 10-point
advantage.
A Crows break
from the centre bounce set
Smith up for a juggling
one-hand mark and goal to
start the last stanza in the
best possible way.
The
determination was showing in
the Crows as they repelled
Coolamon's forward forays
and locked it into their own
50-metre arc.
Another
goal to Giles Lee eased
pressure on the board, but
Coolamon responded with two
of their own at the 16 and
20-minute mark and Crows
supporters were getting
nervous.