Results from the fourth week of the 2018 Winter League

We all like it when Goalball runs to schedule or even better, runs ahead of schedule but when every match of the day ends early with two matches ending before half time, you know the weekend was full of action and grudges.

Game #13 between the Maroon Malvern East and the Blue Yarraville was a quiet start to the weekend. With the combination of Carter, Mooney, Valavanis and the Whelan sisters away, both sides were depleted of numbers but as long as a minimum of two players from each team were in attendance, matches could be played. The 90 Second warning went off for eyeshade checks and on Table Left stood Emma Jago representing Malvern East while also alone on Table Right showing off his colours for Yarraville was Aiden Quilty. The game could not go down as a forfeit as neither team had the minimum numbers required to take the court. Team Penalty, Delay of Game was issued to each side with the end result determining the match result. Jago from Malvern East would shoot first. Throwing to the left side of Yarraville’s goal, Quilty would pick the direction correctly and dive towards the ball to make the save. Getting it on his hands, the ball would pearce through and slowly roll across the goal line for Malvern East to go 1-0. In reply, Quilty shot the ball hard down to the far end of the court in an attempt to equalise. Jago dropped straight to the ground over the top of the center T and made the save. Malvern East adding yet another win to their streak.

When it came time for the Men to get on court, Malvern only had Shaun Whitely and Dean Calder ready to go. Sam Byrne, like several players in the Mixed Division was up north in Queensland competing in the Hells Belles tournament. South Kingsville on the other hand had a line up of 4. Amir Abid, Thientuoc Autran, Daniel Pritchard and Colin Townsend were all eager to start the day’s campaign. Having the minimum 2 players required to take to the court, Malvern asked the Table Staff if there were any spare players floating around. South Kingsville with a substitute cleared Townsend to move across for the match. With under 90 Seconds to go before the game would commence, into the hall burst Malvern’s Number 5, partially ready with pads half on and shoelaces untied. Clearly not in a position to take to the court, Malvern had a choice to receive a Team Penalty Delay of Game while the Number 5 got ready or to start the match with the lineup of Calder, Townsend and Whitely while the Number 5 got organised on the bench and subbed in during the half when ready. Malvern took the second option only, they forgot to exercise the sub. It was a costly mistake with South Kingsville running riot over the Fluros ending the match 12-2 before half time.

The second Mixed Division match of the day was able to have a conventional start as by this time, Yuto Kawai for Malvern East and Thanhtuoc Autran of Yarraville had now both arrived ensuring that both sides met the minimum numbers required to start the game. Autran’s reasoning for arriving late to the day’s play was due to having a large breakfast with the family. A story backed up by South Kingsville’s Number 1, Thientuoc Autran and their cousin Myyen Au. Au joined Malvern East to take their numbers to 3 for Game #15 while Quilty and Thanhtuoc Autran were joined by another new player. The 3 on 3 match would be a test for both Malvern East and Yarraville’s new players who were literally still padding up and being introduced to the lines on court while having their eyeshades checked by the referees. Kamikaze Kawai lived up to his name for Malvern East sending down a variety of speed and bounce deliveries that proved too much for Yarraville’s Centre to contain. Without their main offensive player, Yarraville only managed to place 3 goals into the back of the net while Malvern East stole the show and another win ending the match before halftime with 13 goals in the bag. This mercy victory caused Malvern East’s eighth straight win for the competition. With the series being a best of 17, just 1 more win will see Malvern East take out the title of Winter League Winners. There is now no margin for error for Yarraville.

Last game of the day was a rematch between a mashed Malvern side and a cruising South Kingsville. Townsend remained loaned to the Fluros starting off on the bench coaching the Number 5, Whitely and Calder throughout the first half. Some wise bitrail must have been shared as Malvern seemed to find South Kingsville’s achilles heel. Ball after ball was sent on both the 6 meter and 9 meter diagonal from the Number 5’s right wing into Autran’s post. In response, Pritchard and Autran would work together to move the ball silently around the court behind Abdi using hand passes and motion shots to take the ball from wing to wing and fire down the Number 5’s line or through the gap between Whitely and Calder. Calder proved too solid for the Greys so a focus was set on hitting the Number 5’s post. Both sides respective attacks saw the game reach half time with the scores of 11-8 in favour of South Kingsville. Malvern performed a substitution and removed the on form Calder who sacrificed himself in order to attend another engagement bringing the traitorous Townsend onto the pitch. Although South Kingsville had an overwhelming urge to go after the Fluro’s new coach, the Skingers stuck to their guns and continued on with their plan of attack from the first half. Malvern still had their main attackers in the Number 5 and Whitely on court but were no longer able to get through South KIngsville’s defence. The Fluros only managed to add 2 additional goals to their tally while the Greys broke away to again, end the match with a mercy. 10-20.

The 2 match wins from South Kingsville have seen them jump back into the hunt for 2nd place on the combined ladder tying for wins with Malvern. With the addition of 2 mercy victories, South Kingsville have now gained enough Goals For to take their Goal Difference above Malvern’s putting them in 2nd place and pushing Malvern down to 3rd for the first time all season.

Local League takes a break for a week as the Victorian Goalball Association prepares for its midseason One Day Tournament. Halfway through winter, the aptly named Half a Cup is sure to keep everyone warm as friendly matches are played from 10:00am onwards. Further details can be found on the Facebook event at www.facebook.com/events/1359722644172348/ with Week 5 of Winter League returning the following weekend.

Results

Game #13: Malvern East 1 Vs. 0 Yarraville
Game #14: Malvern 2 Vs. 12 South Kingsville
Game #15: Yarraville 3 Vs. 13 Malvern East
Game #16: South Kingsville 20 Vs. 10 Malvern

Ladder

1st: Malvern East with 8 Wins, 0 Draws, 0 Losses, 87 Goals For, 37 Goals Against and a Goal Difference of 50
2nd: South Kingsville with 4 Wins, 0 Draws, 4 Losses, 114 Goals For, 109 Goals Against and a Goal Difference of 5
3rd: Malvern with 4 Wins, 0 Draws, 4 Losses, 109 Goals For, 114 Goals Against and a Goal Difference of -5
4th: Yarraville with 0 Wins, 0 Draws, 8 Losses, 37 Goals For, 87 Goals Against and a Goal Difference of -50