by Jim Gordon
OUYEN UNITED V BEULAH
In front of a huge crowd, Ouyen United marched straight into the Mallee Football League Grand Final after demolishing Beulah by 101 points at Hopetoun on Saturday. The Demons systematically tore the Blues apart in a one-sided affair that saw them kick a match winning seven goals against the wind in the second term whilst holding the shell-shocked Blues to only one behind.
United were too skilled, too strong and too quick in moving the ball around for a strangely flat Blues side that was never really in the game right from the opening bounce. Their key playmakers such as Scott Smith, Gareth Hose and Dale Shannon when they did get the ball, were nowhere near as effective as they usually are.
Conversely the Demons had stars everywhere. Their defence was tight and mean, they won across the centre and had a dominant forward line that Beulah could not contain. It was a wonderful all over the ground effort by the Demons.
‘I was particularly pleased with the endeavour of the Ouyen United players,’ said victorious coach Ryan O’Callaghan after the game. ‘We kicked the ball well and applied pressure when they got the ball. Our start to the game was terrific. It seemed like everyone was at their best.’
Ouyen United were good in the first term and took a 21 point lead into the first break, but it was in the second quarter that the fun began for an Ouyen United side that has for so long not been able to deal with Beulah.
United’s domination started from the midfield. Even though Kim Hallam’s leap saw Beulah win the knock out from the centre bounces for most of the day, it didn’t take Ouyen United very long to work out what Hallam was doing and negate his palming of the ball by having someone at the drop and someone on the Beulah side of centre ready to pounce on the ball.
It was this centre line domination that kept the ball in the Ouyen United forward line for long passages of play in the second term. Sensing that Beulah might be able to make some use of the north easterly breeze, the Demons dropped Brett Knowles back and with Kieran O’Shannessy on one side and Craig Deckert filling a gap on the defensive wing, United had a impenetrable wall across the centreline.
Although beaten in the centre hit outs by Hallam, both Deckert and Todd Barker did a lot of damage around the ground and at boundary line throw-ins and Deckert’s reading of the play and constant talk meant that something constructive was always imminent if he got anywhere near the ball. Knowles had eleven disposals this quarter in what was a best on ground performance from this versatile big man who can play back or forward or anywhere he likes for that matter.
Ouyen United had forward options to burn and there was little Beulah could do about it. Bradley Vallance was too strong overhead for either Sam Martin or Gary Hallam, Sonny Lindsay was his usual arrogant self on Tim Hill and ended up with seven goals, Damon Healy had a great second quarter and the brilliant Knowles kicked three goals.
Tyler Lehmann was one Beulah defender who stood up all day keeping Wayne Grace relatively quiet and creating a few forward opportunities for the Blues with his attack from half back.
With the ball in the Ouyen United forward half for most of the day, Beulah forwards had few opportunities to do any damage. Their best chances to keep up with the Demons was into the breeze in the first quarter when they were able to get some early centre clearances, but they scored behinds in the difficult conditions when goals would have kept them in touch at quarter time.
Jason Turnbull bobbed up with a couple of goals, but Jarrod Combe, Scott Smith and Garth Hose all missed gettable shots in the first term whilst up the other end United were scoring goals. Beulah was allowing the Ouyen United midfield and attack far too much latitude.
When the ball did go into the Beulah forward line, Ouyen United defenders were able to brush aside the opposition with relative ease. The United defence hunted in packs and through a relentless pressure, they were quick to block any attacking moves by the Blues.
Adam O’Callaghan did another demolition job on David King and followed him everywhere the key forward went. Beulah need King kicking goals, something he has not been able to do on O’Callaghan so far this year.
If there was a concern at Ouyen United before the match, it would have been how their younger players would hold up against the strength and physical presence of Beulah. They need not have worried. The speed, good use of the ball and an ability to be cool in a crisis meant that the younger United players not only held their own, they were key playmakers at different times in the match.
It was Joshua Langdon who was responsible for United’s second goal of the day after a long run through the centre following on from a Glenn Joyce handball. Langdon’s penetrating kick was gathered by Lindsay who goaled.
Damon Healy did a lot of damage from his flank in that decisive second term and Alexander Morrish made the most of his opportunities with some creative work from the defensive wing; Ben Mole was another youngster involved in some good passages of team play during the game.
Marc Hahnel had a very good day for the Demons. Hahnel was good in the first half but really came alive after half time. He proved to be too agile and clever for Jeremy Moore with his strong marking and creative teamwork when he got the ball and was often the last one up from the bottom of the pack. Hahnel made two decisive smothers in the third term when it looked like Beulah were about to break free across the centre.
Beulah can play a lot better than this performance on Saturday might indicate. They had a lot of players who went missing at Hopetoun and will quickly need to regroup as they now have to face a fast improving and highly motivated Sea Lake Nandaly Tigers at Underbool next week in the Preliminary final.
Can United play any better than they did against Beulah? Probably not, but they may not need to and although stranger things have happened in football, the Dees will be raging favourites to win the MFL flag in two weeks’ time.
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Last Modified on 04/09/2011 11:53