Denmark-Walpole storm home kicking five final quarter goals to overrun wasteful North Albany at Collingwood Park

Denmark-Walpole have claimed their biggest scalp of the 2020 Great Southern Football League season, overrunning North Albany at Collingwood Park on Saturday afternoon. The Magpies slotted eight goals to three in the second half to run out 23-point winners over a young Kangas side that blooded two debutants and had a handful of players under the age of 20. An inaccurate home side held a narrow five-point lead at half-time after kicking 10 points in the first half, including eight behinds in a wasteful second term. Addison Dew slotted a long bomb with the aid of the breeze to start the third term and push the margin to two goals before the Magpies kicked the next two. They came from new recruit and towering full-forward Frank Stockley and co-coach Ryan Gaerth with a superb goal from the boundary. Stockley played 44 league WAFL games for West Perth and Subiaco, and was the Lions’ premiership ruckman in 2014. Kangas youngster Talon Delacey took a strong mark and converted before a smart crumbing goal to Tom Candy on the siren levelled the scores heading into the final term. The Magpies kicked the first four goals of the last term, two off the boot of Coen Marwick, as they pushed the margin to 23 points before Delacey added his second to give the Kangas a sniff of hope. Josh De Campo received a 50m penalty and converted to secure the 12.8 (80) to 7.15 (57) result. Shayne Zanetti continued his stellar season for the Magpies with his ruckwork and marking around the ground a standout while Kenny De Campo did a great job to curb the influence of Kangas ball winner Nathan Crudeli. Teenager Matt Dykes, dashing defender Alec Haskins and Gaerth (three goals) were also solid in the win. Delacey was best for the Kangas again with 28 touches and two goals. Dew was a driving force in the middle with 30 possessions, while defenders Mitch Lenegan, Regan Lloyd and Nick Barrow were all impressive. Gaerth said his side finished off the game better than last week. “We still probably didn’t play four quarters, we were lucky North didn’t kick straight in that second term,” he said. “Our mids started to get their hands on it in the second half and get it down forward to give our forwards a chance. “Our second half we competed a lot more consistently.” Kangas coach Leigh Hislop lamented missed opportunities. “We probably had the run of the game and didn’t capitalise in the first half,” he said. “They had the momentum at the end of the third and we probably went too defensive in the last and couldn’t stop their run.”