Tara Murray
Parkside responded after the kick up the butt it needed in the Western Region Football League division 2 competition.
After suffering their first loss of the season against Sunshine the previous round, the Magpies went back to basics against Albion in the top of the table clash on Saturday.
Magpies coach Chris Muratore said the loss to Sunshine was probably what the side needed.
“We went back to what we know,” he said. “We went back to our structures and we had a bit of a reset during the week.
“It was a bit of a reality check we needed to keep us level. I don’t think we were playing good football for about a month.
“Sunshine got a hold of us and provided a good kick up the butt.”
Muratore said on Saturday they implemented what they do well for the majority of the game against the Cats, coming away with a 9.11 (65)-6.12 (48).
He said it was a pretty physical game of football.
“We play a similar brand of football,” he said. “The heavier guys doing a lot of the brunt work and getting it forward.
“I reckon there would have been about 44 really sore boys today [Sunday].”
Muratore said he thought they controlled most of the first half, having the game on their terms and leading by 39 points at the main break.
The Cats then showed they had another level to give.
“We were about 40 points up and then it was just 15 before three quarter time,” Muratore said,
“We lost our way a little bit and a couple of things went against us. At three quarter time we talked about what we did in the first hour and got it back on our terms really quickly and got the points in the end.”
Jy Lambley, Karl Staudt and Lachlan Langwell kicked two goals each for the Magpies.
Muratore said the two Barretts, Hudson and Jackson, Staudt, Jonah Vraca, Shaun Campbell, John Atar and Bradley Graham all had good games.
The results increased the Magpies gap at the top of the ladder to three games over Albion and Sunshine, which are equal on winning percentage.
Muratore said they wanted to cement their spot on top, meaning their fate was entirely in their own hands in the run home.
“We wanted to make that really clear during the week,” he said. “They have to play each other, the other teams fighting for top two, top four.
“We can control our list a little bit better with sore bodies, while for the others it’s finals every week now.”
The Magpies this week face Wyndhamvale, which is now outside the top four after losing to Newport, 8.6 (54)-7.11 (53).
Sunshine was the other winner, beating North Footscray, 16.18 (114)-7.11 (53).
In division 1, Spotswood is back to being only percentage outside the top four after beating Point Cook, while Altona and Yarraville Seddon Eagles both had wins.
