Shepparton United's Samuel Mcinneny kicked five in the triple-figure win.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
For two and a half hours on Saturday afternoon, the Saints had an excursion to hell.
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A nine-goal opening term that featured a cataclysmic 14 scoring shots total for Shepparton United set the wheels in motion for the Demons’ largest Goulburn Valley League win of the year, defeating the Saints by 102 points, 22.10 (142) to 6.4 (40).
At quarter-time, the Demons’ score of 59 to Benalla’s 1.0 (6) had already drafted a strike in the win column, but with three more quarters to play, Shepparton United wouldn’t waste a chance for a real percentage booster.
The Saints responded with intent and grit in the second quarter though, levelling the scores put on the board to head into the sheds with an identical deficit to quarter-time.
Samuel Mcinneny and Liam Serra were United’s goal kickers in the second term, taking the pair’s first half tally to three each, while Tom Riley was putting in a shift for the Saints, kicking the club’s first two of three.
Following halftime, the Demons exploded on the scoreboard again, rallying in transition to tally seven further goals to Benalla’s two, and then sailing home with four more in the last to the Saints’ one, hitting the triple-figure margin with the final score of the game.
After a warning shot to the competiton in its defeat of Kyabram last week, Freer said he grounded his troops before the match to not get complacent against a plucky Benalla said.
“We spoke about expectations and being a consistent side, we didn’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” Freer said.
“Funnily enough, the ‘globetrotter’ stuff doesn’t work all the time but doing the fundamentals always stacks up.”
A trio of forwards stuffed the score sheet, with Serra (six), Mcinneny (five) and Matthew Casey (five) combining for more than three quarters of the Demons’ total goals.
“I was super proud for those three,” Freer said.
“They each scored when we were playing with different phases and modes during the game, and each sort of capitalised on different styles of attack.
“Mcinneny has been a swingman for us so for him to hit the scoreboard like he did was fantastic reward, and a career-high effort.”
Michael Mummery and Riley were Benalla’s top scorers, while the ever-reliable Mark Marriott played well despite the loss and earned best on for his side.
The Demons have a blockbuster top-six clash with Seymour in round 10 that could further either club’s finals credentials, while Benalla will look to rebound at home against Kyabram.
“We’re confident but not cocky,” Freer said ahead of the Seymour match.
“They’re a great club that know what it takes, and we want to become a side that’s viewed as well-respected as they are.
“We’ll stick to our basics - our three highest scoring quarters were when we acted selfless on Saturday.”
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