SANDRINGHAM 11.15 (81)
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NORTH BALLARAT 8.6 (54)
THERE was hope. For the first time in three weeks, North Ballarat Roosters fought their way back into match-winning contention in the Victorian Football League.
Momentum had shifted in the Roosters' favour, only, momentum quickly turned against them when Sandringham Zebras struck back late, then piled on another two goals for safety, and claimed a 27-point win at Eureka Stadium on Saturday.
The Selkirk Roosters had been nine points down at the 14-minute mark of the final quarter, clawing back from a 27 -point deficit early in the term.
But it was a big step forward for the Roosters.
For the first time in three weeks, the Roosters were not completely rolled in the first quarter - they were down 24 points but far from out of it.
There is still a lot of room for fine-tuning.
Inaccurate kicking across the field proved costly with missed shots on goal and unforced turnovers. The Roosters turned this around in the final term.
Efficiently delivering the ball to the forward-50 metres was not as sharp as Sandringham. So, when young Zebra Elliot Le Grice made a big snap for goal, late in the fourth, and pushed his team's buffer out to 15 points again, the match seemed all but over.
Number one ruck Orren Stephenson was sidelined from before half-time with seemingly niggles to a calf injury that forced him to miss last week's game. Developing Kangaroos-listed ruckman Braydon Preuss shouldered the tap load but found a tough match in American Jason Holmes, St Kilda's AFL international rookie project.
Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald was quick to gather players post-match and praise their resilience.
This game is the start of a new stanza for the Roosters this season. A new month.
The Roosters had lost their past two outings heavily to Footscray and Port Melbourne. They were determined to look to their next three games, starting with Sandringham, as a fresh start leading into the mid-season break.
Geelong looms next at the Cattery, then Casey Scorpions in Ballarat, but the renewed drive and energy shown in the fourth quarter against the Zebras is a promising starting points.
SANDRINGHAM 4.7 7.10 8.12 11.15 (81)
NORTH BALLARAT 1.1 3.2 5.5 8.6 (54)
GOALS - Sandringham: Saad 2 Membrey 2 Templeton Minchington Pierce Jones Neiwand Le Grice Murdoch.
North Ballarat: Black 2 Hooper 2 Atley George Hoy Keeble.
BEST - Sandringham: Minchington Brown Wright Jones Gilbert.
North Ballarat: Atley Peters Warren Hooper Garner Staley.
POSSESSIONS
- Sandringham 362
- North Ballarat 287
AARON MULLETT 26 (11 kicks, 15 handballs)
MYLES SEWELL 20 (11 kicks, nine handballs)
NICK RIPPON 20 (10 kicks, 10 handballs)
SHAUN ATLEY 20 (10 kicks, 10 handballs)
JAMES KEEBLE 15 (nine kicks, six handballs)
TACKLES
- Sandringham 65
- North Ballarat (Rippon 6, Hooper 5)
HIT-OUTS
- Sandringham 46 (Holmes 33)
- North Ballarat 31 (Preuss 19)
CLEARANCES
- Sandringham 47
- North Ballarat 34 (Sewell 6, Atley 6)
MARKS
- Sandringham 90
- North Ballarat 61
MARKS INSIDE-50M
- Sandringham 14
- North Ballarat 9
HANDBALLS
- Sandringham 141
- North Ballarat 123