GOLDEN Square withstood an early Castlemaine surge before powering away to an impressive 10-goal win on Saturday.
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The Magpies rammed home the first three goals of the game at MyJet Oval and it took the Bulldogs the rest of the opening term to assert their superiority.
The quarter-time siren signalled the end of competitive football for the day. The Bulldogs drilled 10 majors to two in the concluding three quarters to win by 10 goals and set themselves for the looming qualifying final.
With Matt Compston in complete control of the ruck battles and Tom Toma, Blayne Ryan-Storey and Travis Baird clearing the ball consistently from midfield and across half-back, the Dogs eased home 14.15 (99) to 5.9 (39).
The Maine’s best period of play came in the opening 10 minutes. Ben Leech and Justin Dorward were the linkmen as Jason Cordy (two) and Mark Ramsey nursed home set shots.
Down by 18 points, the Bulldogs upped their tempo. James Sullivan, Jack Daley, Shaun Young and Ryan Herring - from a clever around-the-body snap - landed Square goals to hand the home side an 11-point buffer at quarter-time.
Castlemaine wasn’t in the match from then on as it unfolded. The Square added three goals in both the second and third quarters and four in the last, while restricting the Magpies to just two more goals for the remainder of play.
Square’s Jordan Rosengren booted three goals in his first senior match. His contribution was extremely valuable, given that regular multiple goalkicker Corey Jones was held to just two.
Castlemaine coach Shane Robertson used a few players to shadow Jones. Jarryd Graham and Tom Horne took on the responsibility at various periods of play, but other players were also used.
Yet Jones was crucial as a linkman. In the second quarter he picked out Baird who marked the pass and strolled in, unmarked, across the Maple Street end goal square.
Jack Daley was also valuable. Towards the end of the third term, he collected the spillage from a marking duel and raced into goal for his third major of the day.
Rosengren capped off an enterprising first-up performance by taking a fingertip mark early in the last term and hammering home his third goal.
“We expected a bit of a contest and we weren’t urgent enough early on setting up with our structures. They’d kicked three goals before we blinked,” Square coach Nick Carter said.
“It was pleasing that our guys got back in the game and we were able to hold them almost goalless for the rest of the day.”