SOUTH Bendigo did on Saturday what for the past year in the Bendigo Football League has been mission impossible – defeat Golden Square.
The Bloods recovered from an eight-point deficit in time-on of the last quarter to produce a gutsy 17-point victory, 13.7 (85) to 9.14 (68) at the Queen Elizabeth Oval, in what was not only a brilliant result for the club, but also for the BFL, with it showing the powerful Bulldogs aren’t invincible.
The victory in the top-of-the-ladder clash was South Bendigo’s 10th in a row, while it ended Golden Square’s 20-game winning streak.
It was Golden Square’s first defeat since it lost to South Bendigo by 29 points at the QEO in round 11, last year.
Among Golden Square’s 20-consecutive victories had been an 86-point win over South Bendigo in round one in the grand final rematch, but this time the Bloods – in front of their 1990 premiership heroes – came to play.
Both the Bulldogs and Bloods are now 10-1 and like last year, the BFL’s two standout teams.
“It’s only a home and away game, and we’re very aware of that, but it’s nice to know we can beat them,’’ Bloods coach Rick Coburn said.
“It was a fairly topsy-turvy game, but the way the boys were able to find another gear in the last five minutes was a really good sign.’’
Golden Square coach Nick Carter said South Bendigo’s relentless pressure for four quarters didn’t allow his side to play at the level required to beat opposition of the Bloods’ quality.
“We needed to play our best footy and we didn’t,’’ Carter said.
“We had our opportunities to put some scoreboard pressure on, but we didn’t. South Bendigo was very good and we weren’t and they deserved their win.’’
The game was set up for a thrilling final term as South Bendigo clung onto a slender four-point advantage at three quarter-time – 9.4 to 7.12 – having earlier trailed by 11 points at half-time.
The first 12 minutes of the final quarter were an arm-wrestle as the teams jostled for the crucial first goal.
Just as it had been all day, the pressure was intense and forced two sides usually so good with their ball-use and decision-making to commit some horrendous turnovers by hand and foot.
Both sides missed early opportunities in the final quarter, before Golden Square had a slice of luck through forward Grant Weeks.
Weeks gathered the ball in the scoreboard pocket and dribbled the ball off his boot from 25m out.
Bloods’ defender Phil Carroll was in the Bulldogs’ goalsquare ready to intercept the ball, however, it bounced over his head for an unlikely goal.
That goal put Golden Square up by two points, and when Weeks snapped his fourth eight minutes later, the Bulldogs were up by eight points with 3:50 left on the clock.
The Bloods – who had last year’s round 11 hero Michael Leech hampered by a corked hip – wouldn’t lie down though, with their revival starting with a 50m set-shot goal from Jackson Ireland that cut the margin to under a kick with 3:03 left to play.
From the following centre bounce, the Bloods were awarded a free-kick and Brady Childs – who gathered several important last-quarter clearances – kicked the ball long to a contest in the South Bendigo forward line.
The ball spilled to ground and the Bloods’ Daniel Anderson charged through to swoop on it and goal on the run from 40m out.
Anderson’s goal gave the Bloods a four-point lead with 2:41 left.
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