BFNL: Dragons maintain top spot on ladder with one round to play

Fired up by Matt Wilkinson's five-goal haul the Dragons overcame a slow start to add seven last quarter majors to the Magpies' one to retain top spot on the BFNL ladder.

With mobile ruckman Hamish Hosking in dynamic form the Dragons controlled play around the stoppages and stormed home with their last quarter surge.

The Magpies weren't disgraced in front of a solid home town crowd, but just didn't have the firepower in attack to trouble the Hurst who won 14.15 (99) to 4.11 (35).

With just one home-and-away round to play the Dragons need to down third-placed Eaglehawk this week to hold onto first place on the BFNL ladder.

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They started ominously with two majors on the board early in the opening term.

Wilkinson nailed his set-shot at the scoreboard end followed up by a dribbler from Nick Stagg after a 50m penalty had been paid.

Castlemaine's opening goal also came via a 50m penalty when Bailey Henderson popped through the home side's reply with a touch over six minutes to play.

But the Magpies didn't increase their goal tally in the second term as the Dragons piled on 5.6 with Wilkinson adding two majors, while co-coach Bryce Curnow sent a high floater through the big sticks.

The third term was the Magpies' best on the day. They added 2.4 while holding the Dragons to three points with Riley Pedretti and Henderson busy in the attacking 50.

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Castlemaine's Brad Keogh banged home an around-the-corner snap at the clubrooms end, while deep into time-on promoted under-18s player Ben McConachy was also on line with his snap.

As Keogh had done earlier in the term McConachy also screwed home an around-the-body shot.

But then the Dragons unleashed their last quarter onslaught.

Kicking to the clubrooms end Wilkinson nailed his fourth goal after hanging onto a three-grab mark as Sam Conforti continued to dominate play around the stoppages.

He started a forward thrust with the ball ending in Stagg's hands and when Lachie Wright marked and goaled a few moments later the Dragons had added three majors in quick time.

The Magpie defence was under extreme pressure, but the Dragons onslaught hadn't wound up yet.

A pinpoint tapout from Hosking landed in Zac Pallpratt's hands and his major was followed up moments later with one of the goals-of-the-day.

Will Moran's quick kick from deep in the clubrooms pocket on the railway side of the ground sailed through as the Sandhurst goal tally continued to rise.

Finally, the Maine broke the deadlock when Ashton Keogh snapped Castlemaine's fourth major.

That was countered by Sandhurst's Wilkinson who stamped his mark as the best forward on the Camp Reserve with his fifth goal.

It came from an accurate snap just inside the goal square.

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