Greenvale’s premiership defence looks increasingly shaky after a third straight loss to start the Essendon District Football League season on Saturday.
This time it was Airport West which downed the Jets, coming from 11 points down at three-quarter time to win the Premier Division match 14.9 (93) to 13.6 (84) at Greenvale Reserve.
Greenvale kicked with a stiff breeze in the first term and started magnificently, with a goal within 10 seconds of the bounce.
The Eagles didn’t kick a goal until midway through the quarter and by quarter-time had managed a wasteful 1.5 to the home side’s 5.3.
Airport West slowly found a way back into the contest using the wind well in the second, but Greenvale’s pressure around the ball made it difficult for the visitors.
The Eagles still managed to close the gap to only four points by half-time after Aaron Sweet kicked a wobbly snap late in the term.
The game lifted in intensity in the third term with Airport West grabbing the lead for the first time, only for Aaron Mansfield to regain it for the Jets with a long goal.
Greenvale kicked the next two to stretch out the lead, but two goals in a minute to the visitors reduced the margin to under a goal again.
Joseph Gazzo, who was a constant threat for Greenvale, extended the lead to nine points by the final change, and when Greenvale kicked the opening goal of the fourth quarter it looked is if its first win of the season was on the cards.
But Airport West responded in style, with the Eagles’ midfielders throwing themselves into every contest and driving the ball forward regularly.
They regained the lead midway through the final term through Marcus Kenny, and some great work down the wing from Gavin Urquhart gave Clayton Rogers the chance to kick another goal and give the visitors a handy buffer.
Greenvale had its chances late as it drove the ball forward, but a lack of composure saw the ball constantly end in the hands of the Eagles’ defenders as the visitors held on for a memorable victory.
Greenvale coach Adam McPhee was bitterly disappointed with how the game finished, especially after being in a winning position.
“This one hurt more than the first two rounds, to be honest, because we actually played some pretty good footy for three quarters,” he said.
“We had a side out there that was capable of winning but in the last quarter there wasn’t a will to win, so that’s disappointing.
“Our skill errors really hurt us, our turnovers in the third and fourth quarters, and it’s happening too much.”
