South Mandurah spearhead Brad Holmes collected a bag of eight goals and Andrew Haydon returned in fine form to help the Falcons pick up their first win of the 2018 season when they took down Centrals at home on Saturday afternoon.
A five-goal third quarter gave South Mandurah all they needed to fend off an inaccurate Centrals outfit, who came storming home in the final term but took a 12.5 (77) to 7.14 (56) loss with some wayward kicking hurting their chances.
Souths got the jump early and assumed an eight-point lead at quarter time, but Centrals hit back in the second with a four-goal quarter buoying them to a three-point buffer at the half.
It was all Falcons coming out of the gate in the second half, however, with significantly increased tackling pressure putting the clamps on Centrals, who were kept to just one goal in the third.
Using Rhys Price as a small forward at the feet of Holmes proved a successful formula for the Falcons, as he nailed the second of his three goals to open the half.
By the end of the third South Mandurah held a 22-point lead, giving them enough space to fend off Centrals and cling to a 21-point buffer at full time for their first win on the season.
Jaydon Cullen was among the Falcons’ best after spending the day alongside Centrals star Paul Mugambwa, with coach Craig Callaghan full of praise for the young gun’s efforts.
“We were really happy with how Jaydon went about his business on one of the competition’s best players,” Callaghan said.
“It’s not an easy task to line up against someone with Paul’s experience, but Jaydon was great in the role and he would have learned a lot from the experience.”
It’s another encouraging performance for a young South Mandurah side, who just missed out on a win against Halls Head in round one.
“We’re really happy with how we’re tracking and how we’ve started the season,” Callaghan said.
“The big positive for us is that these young guys have stepped into league footy and are loving it, so to see them get their first win was a pretty good feeling for our club.”
Mugambwa found his way into Centrals’ best players with a standout performance, alongside Brett Hill who also impressed for the visiting side.
South Mandurah will front up against Rockingham next week, while Centrals search for their first win against Mandurah.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
