A win at home will have to wait until season 2019 for Montmorency, with the Magpies conceding a fifth straight win at Montmorency Oval to West Preston-Lakeside.
While the unfavourable conditions, complete with hail and a muddy deck, contributed greatly to the 8.5 (53) to 11.9 (75) scoreline, Ben Haynes’ men were unable to put together consistent passages of play to get the ball forward.
Blake Murphy was among the best for the Magpies thanks to his cleanliness and tackling pressure through the centre, while the grit of Matt Hunt and Jake Potter, particularly across half-back, kept the Magpies within the hunt.
Patrick Fitzgerald worked his way into the match after a quiet start to his 200th game –
predominantly handling the ruck duties – with Kye Declase filling the void up forward with four majors.
But even without Ahmed Saad, the Roosters’ mercurial forward line dealt enough damage to earn them the four points, with the smalls in Michael Ercolano and Daniel Valeri booting a combined five goals.
The combination of James Tadd and Mark Kovacevic in the centre of the ground was equally potent, with the duo superb in the clearances and playing significant roles in driving the ball forward.
Frustration was evident within the Magpie camp, with several scuffles and ill-disciplined 50m
penalties throughout the match resulting in four West Preston-Lakeside goals.
The first of these opened the game after just a minute of play, with Valeri capitalising to give the Roosters and early buffer.
But with hail pelting down soon afterward, Montmorency weathered the conditions best, putting through two goals to the Roosters’ one.
Despite the skill level being down from both sides due to the horrendous conditions, the Magpies still managed to string together some classy passages of play.
A fluent run along the wing starring Ben Kennedy, Connor Dalgleish and Daniel Coghill was one of the highlights for the term, yet Declase was unable to cap off the sequence with a major score.
A composed goal on the run from Hunt at last put the black and white army on the scoreboard moments later, before Declase soccered through his first of the afternoon to put the Magpies in the lead.
Murphy served as the benchmark for tackling pressure throughout the quarter, while senior
debutant, Jacob Bedrac, matched his teammate’s efforts with a stellar tackle late in the piece.
With the Magpies’ forward pressure of a high standard and the defence holding firm, the home side ended the first quarter with an eight-point advantage.
Yet the Roosters emerged in the second term, slotting four goals to two as they began to wrestle the momentum steadily in their favour.
Luke Lirosi got the visitors’ roll underway following a patch on Montmorency dominance, in which they controlled the ball and tackled well, yet failed to score as a result.
The Magpies continued to be their own worst enemy, with another disciplinary 50m penalty and a successive downfield free kick allowing the Roosters to boot back-to-back majors through Ercolano and Jaylon Thorpe.
As the hail returned in intermittent patches, as did Montmorency’s pressure and precision around the contests.
Wyatt Le Gassick helped set up Daniel Coghill’s first major off the back of a pinpoint pass, while Fitzgerald made his mark on the scoreboard moments later to bring the margin within a single point.
But a lapse in defensive effort saw Liam McVeigh dribble through a remarkable major from the boundary – a result which infuriated Haynes and saw West Preston-Lakeside end the half with a 14-point lead.
Another four goals to the Roosters in the third term propelled the visitors further in front, despite two Magpie majors allowing the home side to remain within the game.
It was a scrappy start to the third term, and despite the rain easing, getting hands on clean ball proved exceptionally difficult.
After 12 minutes of play, Valeri jagged this second major, before Montmorency let their hard work go entirely to waste after another 50m penalty gifted Ercolano his third.
Montmorency were let down by its inability to create even numbers forward of the ball, allowing the Roosters to stage several assaults forward without much opposition.
Further compounding the issue was the Magpies’ reluctance to hack the ball forward in the wet, with their calculated movements forward often resulting in turnovers.
A high fly from Ben Walton and Potter looked to be one of the only highlights for the quarter from the Magpies, before Declase snapped two majors to keep Montmorency afloat in the dying stages of the term.
Yet two equally fast goals from Joshua Novelli and Thorpe restored their half-time advantage, with the Roosters holding on to a 19-point advantage at the final change.
Although the margin was still very much attainable, a further two goals to West Preston-Lakeside in the final term saw them secure their 10th win of the season, allowing them to move into third place as a result.
As the skills steadily declined from both sides decline and the Magpies struggled to penetrate their forward line to great effect, Le Gassick and Declase ende up as the only ones to convert for the home side.
While the former’s major brought the Magpies within less than three goals, Matthew Vincitori’s major proved to be too much to overcome, with the Roosters emerging victorious by a final 22 points.
Montmorency will be desperate to return to the winners list next week when they face Hurstbridge at Ben Frilay Oval next Saturday.
MONTMORENCY 2.3 4.3 6.4 8.5 (53)
WEST PRESTON-LAKESIDE 1.1 5.2 9.5 11.9 (75)
GOALS
Montmorency: K. Declase 4, W. Le Gassick, M. Hunt, D. Coghill, P. Fitzgerald
West Preston-Lakeside: M. Ercolano 3, D. Valeri 2, J. Thorpe 2, M. Vincitorio, L. McVeigh, L. Lirosi, J. Novelli
BEST
Montmorency: B. Murphy, J. Potter, P. Fitzgerald, M. Fitz-Gerald, M. Hunt
West Preston-Lakeside: J. Tadd, M. Kovacevic, M. Ercolano, A. Valeri, S. Glover, L. Lirosi
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