Sport
29 July, 2025
Trentham defeats Dunolly, in reach of the finals
Trentham are back in touching distance of the top eight, setting up an extremely critical match with Newstead next week following their 48-32 victory over Dunolly.
With the Saints now only two points behind the eighth-placed Steaders, they can re-enter the finals places with a win this Saturday.
After their last meeting ended in an enthralling 51-51 draw back in round two, both teams were confident in their chances of grabbing four points at Deledio Reserve.
Trentham made a few changes following their defeat to Natte Bealiba last week, with Madelyne Brennan returning to the side for Jacqui Bell and Tahlia Bickerdyke.
Similarly to their aforementioned round two clash, both teams started the game with a defensive approach, looking to adapt quickly to the wet conditions.
Unlike that last match, it was the Saints who grabbed the upper hand early, leading 12-7 at quarter time.
The Saints’ shooters Kasey Button and Sharna Ford recovered quickly from some early shooting struggles, with Button leading with seven goals and Ford netting five of her own.
The Eagles were not afraid to tinker with their lineup in the opening term, utilising nine players, including three shooters. Zoe Aldridge was arguably the pick of the Dunolly shooters early, converting two of her three attempts.
Scoring began to pick up in the second quarter, with both teams’ shooters acclimatising themselves to the unique weather.
Some great defensive plays from Trentham’s Jessica Walker and Brennan allowed the visitors to seize control of the match, increasing the margin to 13 goals at half time.
Button and Ford combined to score 16 goals from just 19 shots, with Button top-scoring with nine.
Aldridge was just as potent for the Eagles in the second term, going a perfect three for three from the field.
Looking to get themselves back into the game at the start of the third quarter, the hosts made some adjustments at the main break.
With Leah Davis moved into defence alongside Demcy Fraser, promising youngster Mia Schodde shifting to wing defence and Ashlee Lierich rotating between the midcourt and defence, Dunolly found a formula to slow Trentham’s offence.
However, those tactical shifts didn’t result in the Eagles cutting into the deficit, as the Saints remained 14 goals ahead at three-quarter time.
Button continued to excel as the first option, netting seven in the third period while Ford added four for the Saints.
Looking to secure a critical four points to their finals aspirations, Trentham focused on preventing any unlikely comeback from Dunolly in the final quarter.
That resulted in the visitors allowing only seven goals in the last 15 minutes, sealing their fifth win of the season with a 16-goal victory.
Button finished with a game-high 30 goals after going seven for eight in the fourth quarter, well supported by shooting partner Ford, who added 18.