Bendigo Bombers mark crucial win against Tigers at Strathfieldsaye

THE Bendigo Bank Bombers scored a crucial home victory against Werribee Tigers at Strathfieldsaye in Saturday’s 14th round of the Victorian Football League season.Playing at Tannery Lane for the first time, the Bombers withstood the fighting Tigers to win 17.13 (115) to 15.15 (105) in front of a crowd of more than 2000 people.The Bombers went into their first game in Bendigo for many weeks knowing victory was a must to hold their place in the eight.Bendigo raced to a 20-2 lead as Ben Duscher (two goals) and Michael Still were on target.Hayden Skipworth goaled in the 16th minute to make it 26-2. Werribee capitalised on a kick across goal to score its first major at the 22-minute mark.It was the Tigers who finished the term with plenty of run, and more importantly goals as Dominic Gleeson and Matt Laidlaw capped dominance through midfield to be within five points at quarter-time.The Shannon Grant-coached Bombers responded to the first of many Tigers’ fightbacks with a hat-trick of goals, which included Steven Stroobants swooping on the spillage from a marking contest to give Bendigo a 25-point lead.The Tigers won the next centre break and Gabby Denton goaled on the run to cap fine roving.The red and black hit back with goals by Jake Melksham and Stroobants.Werribee again scored consecutive goals to draw within 16 points before Lachlan Delahunty from Minyip-Murtoa took a fine mark and kicked the first of what would be three goals for the game.At half-time, Bendigo led 10.7 (67) to 6.10 (46).The Tigers were first to goal in the third term before Duscher was on the end of a Nathan Lovett-Murray handpass.Still was freed in a marking contest and goaled for a 26-point lead.Momentum then swung back Werribee’s way as it started to win a lot more contests through midfield and across half-forward.Three unanswered goals by the Tigers put the heat on Bendigo.The Bombers responded as first-game player David Meli, an international rookie from Papua New Guinea, won the centre clearance from which Jake Carlisle took possession and handpassed to Duscher for another running goal.Werribee turned an eight-point deficit into a three-point lead early in the final term through goals by James Saker and Bongetti.The Bombers kept possession from a ball-up on the forward flank and Meli kicked a superb goal on the run to regain the lead.Paul Scanlon then goaled to cap a passage of play that began with Tyson Slattery’s knock-on to halt a Tigers run in attack.Delahunty then marked Jason Cloke’s precise pass which travelled more than 45m to goal for a 17-point lead.The Tigers refused to yield and hit back through Rockefeller before Duscher kicked his fifth major to cap another best afield performance.Bongetti goaled just seconds before the final siren sounded.Bendigo coach Shannon Grant was impressed with the efforts of many first, second or third-game players in the Bombers’ line-up.“We are one of the youngest squads in the VFL, and had a lot of inexperienced players in today,” Grant said.“The great thing is they all contributed.”Duscher’s debut for the Bombers was not until the round 11 clash with Frankston, but he is quickly becoming a key player through midfield and in attack.“Ben is a quality player,” Grant said.“He really showed the way in his attack on the ball and getting to a lot of contests.”In just his second VFL match, Delahunty took several strong marks and competed well in attack.“David Meli, who has spent most of the season playing with the Caler Cannons in the TAC Cup, was excellent,’’ Grant said of his promotion to the VFL through the 23rd player rule.“Ben Gray, Steven Stroobants and Blair Holmes all played important roles for us.”The coach also praised experienced campaigners such as Cloke, Skipworth and Lovett-Murray for their leadership, especially in the final quarter.Bendigo takes on the ladder-leading Williamstown this Saturday in the Seagulls nest.