A sublime seven-goal bag from gun forward Alex McLeod spurred the Mandurah Mustangs to an emphatic 17.13 (115) to 7.14 (56) win over their rival South Mandurah at Rushton Park on Sunday afternoon.
The power forward chalked up all seven of his majors prior to three-quarter time, combining with Matthew Bennell for 11 goals between the two as the home side put their guests to the sword with a blazing first half.
The Mustangs showed the general bye had done little to stop their momentum after beating Rockingham just before the week off, booting the first nine goals of the game.
Led by a superb effort from Mitch White in the midfield and Tyrell Metcalf around the ground, Mandurah tallied the only two goals of an inaccurate first quarter for both sides through McLeod and Bennell.
The second quarter proved a more fruitful one for Mandurah's efforts, however, as they booted seven goals to the Falcons' zip to take what would eventuate to be an unassailable lead.
Ivan Lyndon, Brandon Penny and Bennell combined for the first four of the term with Alex Cohen firing through the midfield, but it was McLeod breaking South Mandurah's back as he piled up the final three goals of the half in a hurry to give the home side a 59-point lead at the long break.
Thankfully for the Falcons, it didn't take long for them to break their goals drought in the second half with star forward Brad Holmes chalking up his first in the opening minutes of the quarter.
South Mandurah looked resurgent early in the second half with efforts from Jack Shanahan and Warwick Taylor, but that soon fell away as the Mustangs booted the next five goals to extend their buffer.
McLeod nailed his sixth when he ripped the ball from the hands of Falcon James Fenton in the goal square, and got his seventh in similar fashion this time reeling in what looked like a certain mark for teammate Bennell before converting from the goal square.
The Falcons supporters were able to cheer on a rare highlight late in the term when Riley Steinbock put in a brilliant chase down the wing to snare Metcalf holding the ball, before late goals to Thomas Dyer and Mathew McMahen ended the third.
From there the game turned into a matter of time, with both sides running out the clock with the result already decided.
Souths were admirable in their finish booting the final three goals of the day, but the Mustangs still managed to take a 59-point victory on the day.
The win brings Mandurah to a 5-5 record, sitting in fifth place just one win shy of Centrals who reside in fourth.
Meanwhile the Falcons remain in sixth spot, deadlocked with both Halls Head and Waroona at 2-8.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
