Armstrong the hero as Dragons snap losing streak

By Lenny ROBERTS

It was a quick turnaround for the Dragon boys with round eleven commencing on Friday night after playing on Sunday. For the second time this season, they took on the Oakleigh Chargers at RSEA Park for a chance to get back on the winners list. A plethora of new faces for this match with Rory Wright, Miles Tyrer, Archie Edwards, Fletcher Teelow, and Josh Cresswell all debuting.

After just three goals for the entire match last weekend for Sandringham, they managed to double that in the first quarter alone. Booting six goals and 3 behinds to set up an early lead. However, it was the Chargers who kicked the first of the night through Waylon Davey-Motlop. A couple minutes went by after some repeat entries for the home side before Archie Ludwoyke kicked home a major from the goal square. Sandringham won the next clearance to find Ludowyke again, who went back from 35 metres and slotted it. The Chargers responded to make it two goals apiece in the 11th minute. Having some spells in the midfield over the last few games, Haeata (15 disposals) launched a bomb from behind the fifty-metre line to give the Dragons their third. Following this, Armstrong took a strong mark inside 50 and converted for his first of the night. He then set up Findlay who finished from the set shot. The visitors hit back after a nice snap goal from Davey-Motlop, his third of the quarter. Back into the side this week, Samuel Linder (20 disposals, 8 marks) bought the energy. He found debutant Archie Edwards in the pocket who goaled his first major in Dragons colours. A commanding opening term with 10 scoring shots from Sandringham, to give themselves a 22-point lead.

Engine room guns Ned Maginness and Luke Kennedy were busy, getting first use, and being an option out of stoppages. Teelow got on the end of a scramble inside forward fifty to kick his first goal on debut, a real team lifter. Oakleigh answered that with their fourth to keep the game in balance. Left-footer Jack Dalton made his first appearance of the season after an injury block, and accumulated 20 disposals, with 5 marks. Mitch Kirkwood-Scott (16 disposals, 1 goal) was lively in this term, pushing up and down the ground to make an impact. And got some reward by kicking a goal after an Oakleigh player ran through the protected area. Kennedy bursted through from the next centre bounce to lace out Armstrong, who unfortunately couldn’t capitalise. There was some back and forth play during the latter parts of the second quarter, with both teams unable to put damage on the scoreboard. The first half came to an end after some good defensive work by the home side in the dying stages, with the Dragons holding a comfortable 28-point advantage.

Ludowyke got the scoring going in the third quarter after picking off a switch kick, however he sprayed it to the left. Maginness (16 disposals, 5 inside 50’s) continued on his impressive first half, by receiving a holding the ball tackle free-kick and intercepting an Oakleigh kick. The territory was owned by Sandringham for the opening minutes. Although a good buildup from the defensive half saw Riely Collins, who was getting involved, snap home a goal from the square, from a slick entry from Dalton. Which made it a six-goal lead for the Dragons in the 7th minute. Oakleigh would then put on the next three goals to gain back some momentum, before Armstrong quickly shut that down by dribble kicking home yet another goal from the square. Going into the last term as 24-point leaders, Sandringham were still well in control of the game.

However, the last term was all Oakleigh with the Chargers kicking six goals to three, including the first. They would eventually storm all the way back into the game to level the scoreboard. Ludowyke took a spectacular one-handed mark after a Kennedy (12 disposals, 6 tackles) clearance, and went back to give his side back the four-goal buffer. A minute later, Oakleigh responded by finishing an impressive chain of play from their defensive half. Playing as the second ruck, Tyrer (8 disposals, 7 tackles) was noble, and helped set up the first of Armstrong’s two goals in this quarter. Which seemed to just about put the game away for Sandringham. Although, in a span of just 8 minutes, the visitors would pile on four consecutive goals to tie the game at 83-83. Which is fitting considering the inside 50 count was dead even at 36 each. The next clearance saw Kirkwood-Scott find Armstrong on the lead. With the siren sounding halfway through his runup, he composed himself, went back and slotted the match winner under Friday night lights. Elation for the Dragons players after the game, who almost let one slip at the death. The win sees Sandringham rise back into the top two going into round twelve where they’ll head to Bendigo to take on the Pioneers on Sunday.

GOALS: Armstrong 4, Ludowyke 3, Collins, Haeata, Kirkwood-Scott, Teelow, Edwards, Findlay

BEST: Armstrong, Dalton, Kirkwood-Scott, Kennedy, Maginness, Ludowyke