From www.localfooty.com.au
Reported by Paul Amy
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THE Casey Scorpions led by 34 points at three-quarter-time against Williamstown on Saturday night at Casey Fields.
Was it enough? That was the question.
Willy were finishing with a wind whistling to the entrance end of the ground. The bulk of the scoring had been done there. Here was a stern test for the Scorpions.
They passed it, so brilliantly they held Willy to two goals, kicked one themselves and won by 23 points to stay unbeaten after four rounds.
Supported by the midfielders, the backline held together in the face of fierce pressure in the first few minutes of the final quarter. Willy attacked relentlessly but scored only points.
Then came a crucial passage. The Scorpions turned the ball over at half forward and Danny Nicholls found Jake Best in front of goal. He slotted it and the lead was 36 points at the 13-minute mark.
There was no way back for the Seagulls, not even when pint-sized Charlie Nastasi goaled after big Jake Spencer picked him up by the jumper and swung him through the air in an incident that made spectators gasp in disbelief.
"They (Willy) had 25 inside 50s in the last quarter for two goals," Casey coach Rohan Welsh said after the match. "The efforts of our defenders were sensational."
Ditto for the forwards, who worked to the knuckle to keep the ball in the 50m arc. Welsh noted that Nathan Page applied four tackles in 30 seconds.
The Scorpions had suffered a blow in the first quarter when young forward Jesse Hogan went off with a bad corkie. He was unable to return.
But Casey still had two big targets in Chris Dawes, playing his first game for the season, and Jack Fitzpatrick, perhaps playing this year for his AFL career.
Fitzpatrick pulled the game Casey's way with a dominant third quarter in which he kicked three of his four goals. Every time he went near the ball possibilities seemed to open up for his side.
Midfielders James Magner (33 possessions), Tom Couch (28) and Mitch Gent (23) bored in all night, Joel Macdonald (21) used the ball cleanly and classily, and Nicholls had telling touches.
But Lynden Dunn, with 29 kicks and six handpasses, was best-afield, a five-star general directing Casey from half back.
Scorpions supporters were delighted to see Kyle "Killer" Matthews back at senior level and he was typically busy and brave, being involved in two big hits in the last quarter.
His helmet gets a far work-out. At match's end he took it off, sat on a chair and chatted to his great mate Evan Panozza, two fine clubmen and leaders savouring a victory that Magner said was one of the best he'd experienced.
Casey visits Port Melbourne on Saturday.
Casey Scorpions 4.4 6.5 13.8 14.8 (92) d Williamstown 0.2 6.7 7.10 9.15 (69)
Casey Scorpions goals: Fitzpatrick 4 Taggert 2 Dawes 2 Dunn 2 Kent Best Hogan Page. Best: Dunn Couch Fitzpatrick Magner Page Spencer
