Laurimar have returned to the top two on the NFNL Division 3 ladder, after defeating Mernda by 32 points in their important battle at Laurimar Reserve
The Power led throughout the entire match, holding a slight two and a half goal advantage in the pivotal stages of the final term, before kicking three goals in the space of five minutes during time on to finish 10.14 (74) to 6.6 (42) victors.
Luke Wilson was a workhorse in midfield, with his clean and efficient use of the football a standout in a game that truly encapsulated Melbourne’s ‘four seasons in one day’ reputation.
Harley Marsh was a late inclusion for Cooper Herbert and excelled for the hosts throughout the afternoon, highlighted by his first senior goal which came from almost the middle of the ground.
Noah Mooney and Micah Vecchio kicked the only multiple goals of the match, the former producing multiple courageous acts in the front half, the latter creating impressive forward half pressure to fill the void left by Jacson Cecil inside 50.
The Demons’ defensive duo of Shannon Bennett and Dayne Kellett had plenty of possessions and worked well together to deliver multiple rebound 50’s while stand in captain Matthew Golledge was a highlight in midfield.
Billy Morrison did well to compete in the ruck all match with Laurimar pair Aiden Clarke and Josh Leather, as the Mernda tall’s presence around the ground ensured every contest down the line was evened out.
Light rain welcomed the two sides to start the match, with multiple early chances from both sides resulting in behinds.
Josh Leather broke the deadlock eight minutes in with a goal before minutes later, a long kick from Marsh bounced its way through the big sticks.
Mooney then kicked truly moments later to suddenly balloon the advantage out to 20 points.
Looking to get back into the game, a one-on-one contest inside the visitors forward 50 was won by Demons’ leading goalkicker Bryce Kimuliatis, who turned and snapped a goal to give his side a boost.
But Micah Vecchio responded with a nice finish to again extend the lead for Laurimar and despite a late major from Ryan Lovegrove-Hudson, the Power had all the ascendency and led by 14 at the first break.
The Demons tried to build some momentum in the early stages of the second quarter and found initial success in doing so, when Billy Morrison sailed a long-range shot on goal through the big sticks to cut the deficit to 10 points. It would prove to be the closest the away side would get to their opponents for the remainder of the match.
Nice back-to-back goals from James Apted and Matthew Gersh again put Jimmy Atkins’s men back in control of the match, with Gersh especially getting his hands on the football often inside 50.
Somer 22 points down approaching half time, Matthew Golledge tried to spark his side with a great finish on the run for the Demons, but ill-discipline from his team saw the visitors give up a goal almost straight away with Vecchio marking and kicking truly to give Laurimar a 23-point advantage at the main break.
The scoring started to dry up in the third quarter with Mernda again creating plenty of entries inside their attacking half to kick off the term.
Riley Edwards’s goal five minutes into the quarter gave Robert Fletcher’s team some hope and despite Laurimar piling the pressure in their attacking half, the impressive Demons defence held their nerve and kept the hosts to just four behinds for the term.
Just before the three-quarter time siren, Daniel Smith converted a simple set shot on goal to put Mernda right in the mix, trailing by only 15 points heading into an intriguing final term.
But the intrigue soon disappeared in what was a lacklustre last quarter. Stoppages dominated the term, despite it being kept inside Mernda’s attacking half for most of that period.
It was a perfect situation for the hosts who looked to maintain their advantage and they would soon seal the game in impressive fashion, starting with a soccer goal from Mooney, followed by two solid majors from Nathan Andrews and Aidan Clarke to signal a brilliant victory for the Power.
Laurimar move to second spot on the ladder as a result of the triumph, and by not facing a current top four side until Round 14, the Power are in the hot seat to build further momentum before a massive final month of the regular season.
Despite tasting defeat for the first time since Round 3 on Saturday, Mernda slip to third and with top of the table Kinglake next week, it means they will not face a current top five side in their last five games of the season, setting up a monumental finish to the home and away campaign.

• NFNL