A pair of goals in the dying stages from Samuel Alexander delivered Centrals their first win of the Dudley Tuckey Cup campaign as they squeaked by an inaccurate Halls Head outfit on Sunday.
Halls Head led by a solitary point with just minutes remaining, but Alexander broke through for back-to-back majors, sealing the deal on a 7.16 (58) to 10.10 (70) victory for the Blues.
Brad McPhail starred in the victory while Matthew Leipold slotted four goals for the Blues.
The Lightning's wayward kicking for goal hindered their chances all day, as they started the game with 0.5 in the opening term.
Meanwhile Centrals had been able to capitalise on their opportunities a shade more, taking a 10-point lead into quarter time.
But with Travis Sexton dominant around the ground and Mathew Allen damaging up forward, Halls Head were able to wrestle control back despite their misses in front of goal.
Allen nailed two goals early in the second term to give the Lightning the lead, before Leipold answered with a pair of his own to keep Centrals ahead by two points at half time.
The Blues broke away again in the third, however, with McPhail and Toby Gianatti productive around the ground.
Late majors to Tyler Glands and Leipold saw them breathing a little more comfortably with a 15-point buffer at the final break.
But Halls Head weren't done with yet.
Riley Patten-Williams had them within a straight kick when his goal broke a 10-minute drought at the start of the fourth, and by the time Liam Lockley kicked his third scores were all tied up.
The Lightning eventually put their noses in front with a behind, and looked poised to snare their first victory of 2020.
But it wasn't to be, as Centrals found their way forward at the 22-minute mark and reclaimed the lead through Alexander.
He would go on to put the final nail in the coffin just minutes later.
The win has Centrals on the board after opening the Dudley Tuckey Cup with a pair of losses, while Halls Head remain without a victory.
The Lightning will look to take plenty of positives out of the clash when they take on Baldivis next week, while Centrals will front up against the league leading Rockingham.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
