Gardiner bags nine as Cobras strike back

TWELVE months is a long time in football and Cora Lynn would’ve marked their calendar ahead of their round 11 game against Dalyston with the words ‘Day of Redemption’.

In 2023, the Magpies well deserved victory at the Cobra Dome caught Cora Lynn off guard, but the 2024 version of the Cobras struck back with passion led by their ace in the pack Nathan Gardiner having a big day out booting nine goals, five.

While all eyes have been on Inverloch-Kongwak and Nar Nar Goon, Cora Lynn has quietly gone about its business to be positioned top of the ladder, equal on points with Phillip Island.

And central to their potency is Gardiner, who with 70 goals from 11 matches is well on target to top the ton and retain his mantle as the WGFNC goal-kicking champion.

Dalyston’s aspirations of making a contest dwindled in a short space of time.

Both teams traded behinds early in the contest with even Gardiner missing at close range under little pressure.

Twelve minutes in, the full forward ticked off his first, with Jaxon Briggs delivering a high ball to a one-out contest with the Magpie’s Will Clarke. Gardiner missed the big fly but won the free kick plus 50 metres to boot. The stars would certainly align for him this day.

The Cobras were clean, calculated and precise with their delivery to an open forward line and Gardiner was lapping this up, using his body strength to snaffle a chest mark or wrestle Clarke in the clinches and he had scored four of Cora Lynn’s five majors at the break.

Nothing was working for the Magpies and making matters worse ball magnet Murfett took a high knock to finish his day. The team was slightly off the boil, overzealous with their tackling at times, which didn’t win them any favours from the men in yellow. Too early, too late, too high, too long, too much force, the harmony wasn’t there apparently.

Cora Lynn held the Magpies at arm’s length, kicking three for the quarter, setting themselves 51 points clear at halfway.

Overcast and cooler conditions prevailed as the third term commenced. The Cobras advanced with a goal to Coverdale before Dalyston finally nailed their first through Kyle Kirk, courtesy of a Karamoshos pass.

Will Clarke had been containing Gardiner to a degree however the continuous supply made his job impossible. The Cobras’ run-and-gun style allowed their team to chain forward in numbers and Gardiner kicked goals six and seven in cruisy fashion.

His team-mates followed suit with debutante Boccari scooping up the spillage to kick his first senior goal before Villella and Machaya with consecutive majors in red time added to Dalyston’s misery.

The Magpies saved some grace by halving the last quarter. Gardiner kicked a booming goal from 50 metres early before Foon and Wallis snapped goals for the visitors.

And the Cobra goal-kicking machine capped the day with his ninth to finalise proceedings.

Dalyston travels to Korumburra this weekend while the Cobra’s next prey will be Garfield.