Depleted Carey Park pounces to bring down Collie Eagles

Carey Park dug deep to register its second win of the season when the Panthers came from behind to overcome the Collie Eagles at Kelly Park on Saturday.

The Panthers faced a slim one-point deficit at the final break before rallying to register the 14-point victory despite having no available players left on the bench for the entire quarter.

“We were pretty much down to one rotation by half-time,” Carey Park coach Richard Barnard said.

“One went down in the warm up and then a couple more went down really early as well.

“That’s what helped make it such a pleasing win.”

Collie kicked the first goal of the game and then added the next after a deliberate rushed behind free kick decision which raised the eyebrows of home-team supporters.

The Panthers were controlling play for sections of the first quarter but it was not until Jeff Carter converted from the pocket that the side was able to deliver the ball clinically to its forwards.

An eight-point Eagles lead at quarter time was quickly erased as the home team started to dominate a battle for territory.

Goals to Riese Wilkey, Cody Garlett, Carter and Heath Stewart helped the side establish an 18-point lead before two late goals against the run of play allowed Collie to clamber back within six-points at the main break.

Barnard said his side had not changed its approach in order to swing momentum its way.

“We had had plenty of the footy but we just butchered it a few times moving forward,” he said.

“At half-time I think inside 50s were 25-12 in our favour.”

The game continued to be hotly contested with goals hard to come by in the third quarter and it was the Eagles who had a one-point lead at the final change.

A couple of behinds saw the Panthers snatch the lead in the final quarter before Jake Peters briefly gave the Eagles the edge again after a goalless first 10 minutes.

Wilkey kicked his third of the match to change the lead before a Liam Rueben shot on goal fell short.

The ball quickly transitioned where Wilkey took a strong grab on the goal line and converted in turn.

His fifth sealed the game for Carey Park after Collie’s Talan Michael was ordered from the field by the umpire.

CAREY PARK 9.8 (62) DEF COLLIE EAGLES 7.6 (48)

GOALS — Carey Park: R. Wilkey 5, J. Carter 2, H. Stewart, C. Garlett. Collie Eagles: J. Peters 2, A. Tweedie 2, J. Smith, J. Dye, S. Salmeri.

BEST — Carey Park: J. Thurston, S. Read, V. Blurton, L. Stewart, R. Wilkey, Z. Verhaaf. Collie Eagles: L. Reuben, M. Blackford, J. Roney, J. Debenham, T. Michael, K. Fleay.