A final-quarter resurgence from Greensborough has ended Montmorency’s hopes of securing their fifth win of the season, despite a seven-goal haul from Monty giant Patrick Fitzgerald.
Boro, who trailed by 11 points at three-quarter time, kicked four majors in the final term to narrowly beat the Magpies by three points.
While also advancing to fifth position on the ladder, there was further reason for the opposition to celebrate, with the coveted Adamson Perpetual Shield coming into their possession.
Slippery conditions underfoot generally created scrappy, turnover football in the first quarter, with both sides making basic skill errors on occasion.
But as the Magpies found their tempo halfway through the term, moments of composure and class sparked fight despite the dewy conditions.
Monty’s back six showed courage under pressure, characterised by Bill Jenkin’s brave mark as he ran backward through heavy traffic to claim possession in the centre square.
Bobby Lamanna and James Brooker kept both their feet and their blistering pace in the difficult conditions; their run-and-carry style of football propelling the Magpies forward.
Meanwhile, Anthony Bernardi mirrored the style of Daniel Keenan on multiple occasions, much to the delight of coach Ben Haynes.
Strong tackling pressure saw Bernardi at the bottom of many stoppages, and when on his feet, appeared to have more time than anyone else on the field to thread precise passes to his teammates.
Even with Bernardi’s sharp ball movement in heavy traffic, Montmorency only scored three behinds for the term, opposed to Greensborough’s two majors from Corey Cogan and Ricky Mullins.
An on-the-siren mark and goal from Patrick Fitzgerald narrowed the margin to five points, this being the first of his seven-goal day.
Monty’s 24 tackles in the first term paved the way for a dynamic opening to the second term.
Two Magpie goals within four minutes from Nick Snowden and Patrick Fitzgerald, both assisted by Bernardi, put the Magpies in the lead.
Yet the explosive start did not last, with the ball being locked in Greensborough’s half for eight minutes.
Josh Slattery however minimised the Boro assault, spearheading the resolute defence and holding firm in integral passages of play.
Youngster Riley Howe similarly provided a courageous mark running back with the flight of the ball, preventing what would have been a guaranteed Greensborough major.
But a subsequent lapse in concentration from the Magpies brought them to a grinding halt; a mishap during an attempted switch getting Greensborough back in the game.
This noticeable change in pace which brought Montmorency to a standstill, subsequently presented itself as an opportunity for Greensborough.
The Boro’s speedy midfield, led by Nick Riddle, were able to level the scores thanks to a Matthew Haynes major.
A final burst from the Magpies however resulted in another on-the-siren mark and goal, this time with Lachlan O’Brien converting.
Montmorency’s envisaged explosive start to the third term was dampened by an easy goal from Greensborough skipper, Tristan Stead.
A ferocious tackle from Nick Snowden later sparked the Magpie revival, with Matt Hunt and Jesse Donaldson combining to give a charging Patrick Fitzgerald his third goal.
While Greensborough’s Billy Bedford brought the margin back to one point, Montmorency’s Patrick Fitzgerald rose to the occasion.
Hurtling like a freight train into packs, Fitzgerald was unstoppable in the third term, adding another two majors to his name.
A following goal from James Brooker extended Montmorency’s lead to 21 points – the largest of the game – while Joel McLellan dominated the ruck contests.
Yet a flurry of Greensborough behinds and a last-minute miracle snap from Josh Callaway brought it back to 11 points at the final change.
Determined to notch their fifth win of the season, Fitzgerald again fired, slotting his sixth goal early in the piece.
James Brooker similarly chimed in, utilising his blistering pace on multiple occasions through the midfield to push the ball forward.
Yet this was not enough to maintain the Magpies’ focus.
Another lapse in pressure resulted in two quick-fire Greensborough goals – a meagre three points separating the two halfway through the term.
With eight minutes of play remaining, a declining Montmorency let their lead slip, with Brodie Tickell putting the Boro in front for the first time since the opening quarter.
Looking to their big men, Fitzgerald regained the lead coolly slotting his seventh goal from a set shot outside the 50.
The efforts of the big man however, were unable to stop another Josh Callaway goal, with the margin again falling in favour of the Boro.
In the dying seconds of the game, Bill Jenkin was able to paddle the ball forward 40 metres, the footy resting just on Monty’s 50.
With seconds to spare, a desperate kick from Fitzgerald from the stoppage just shied away to the right.
The siren sounded with Greensborough in possession, the nail-biting finish flattening the weary Magpies who were unable to maintain their lead.
A lockout meeting following the game emphasised how Ben Haynes’ mantra of applying pressure needed to be applied for the whole game.
The Magpies will face Eltham next week, determined more than ever to keep their finals hopes alive and secure their fifth win of the season.
FINAL SCORE: Montmorency 11.12 (78) defeated by Greensborough 12.9 (81)
BEST: Fitzgerald, Hunt, Brooker, Slattery, Bernardi, Lamanna
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