St Albans faces an uphill battle to secure a double chance for the Western Region Football League finals after suffering a 68-point loss to Spotswood on Saturday.
The Saints dropped to fifth place on the division 1 ladder and are two games outside the top three.
They were also passed on the ladder by Hoppers Crossing, with the pair set to do battle during the remaining weeks of the season for a home elimination final.
After knocking off the highly fancied Woodsmen earlier in the year in one of the club’s best wins, St Albans was unable to recapture the magic in the away fixture.
Spotswood took an 11-point lead into the opening break before seizing control of the match and dominating the next three quarters. The Woodsmen booted 14 goals to five to cruise to the 19.10 (124) to 8.8. (56) win.
In what was a tough day at the office, Teghan Henderson and Nathan Tieppo worked hard to be among the Saints’ best players.
Up forward, Michael Spooner matched his best goalkicking tally for the year and finished the match with four majors.
But there was no stopping the Woodsmen who were led by young gun and former Western Jet David Iaccarino.
St Albans has the perfect chance to bounce back this week when it meets the winless Yarraville-Seddon Eagles.
In other division 1 matches, Deer Park continued on its winning way, smashing Albion by 139 points. The Lions were again led by their dominant forward line, with James Condos kicking eight goals while James Wong chipped in with six. Former AFL trio Bret Thornton, Ryan Hargrave and Brent Guerra were also among the Lions’ best.
The undefeated Lions are 10 points clear on top of the ladder and will face Sunshine away on Saturday.
