Sport
21 April, 2026
Dunolly improves to 2-0 after thrilling six-goal win
A fourth-quarter comeback has propelled the Dunolly Eagles to back-to-back victories, prevailing in a thrilling match against Harcourt.
Saturday’s six-goal victory ensured the Eagles have already surpassed their 2025 win total in just two rounds, becoming one of only five teams to commence their 2026 with a 2-0 record after several bold lineup changes paid off down the stretch.
Already in high spirits following their Good Friday victory over Maldon, Dunolly was given a further boost thanks to the arrival of Charlotte Liddicoat.
Looking to build on their formidable first half performance against Talbot the week prior, the Lions’ midcourt consisting of Ella Rule, Morgan Howorth and Zoe McLean did a great job slowing down their Eagles counterparts in transition.
However, with Ashlee Lierich and Lara Clements continuing to be a terrific tandem in defence and Chloe Goodwin taking her shooting chances, Dunolly took the narrowest of leads into quarter time, up 9-8 after a hard-fought term.
Despite their early lead, player-coach Clements went bold during the interval, replacing Hannah Kenny at goal attack while Teagan Hovey came off the bench to take her place at goal defence.
While Clements was shooting lights out during the second quarter alongside Goodwin, Harcourt shooters Jordan Bagley and Ursula van Dyk were capitalising on her departure from the Eagles’ defence.
The duo turned 12 McLean and Howorth feeds into goals, helping the Lions take the lead as they entered half time up by two.
Both teams were unchanged coming out of the break, sensing an opportunity to secure a landmark victory in their season.
After being tested in the second quarter, Dunolly’s new defensive trio of Lierich, Hovey and Leah Davis began to come into their own early in the second half, conceding just five goals in the third period.
However, Laura Suckling, Carly Chaplin and Rule were just as influential in Harcourt’s defensive third, keeping the hosts narrowly in front at three-quarter time.
With the game teetering in the balance, Clements once again elected to be aggressive, bringing Kenny back in at goal shooter for Goodwin and giving Ruby Lang her first action of the game at wing defence.
While their first lineup swing could be described as mixed success, Dunolly’s second shuffle was a grand slam, taking the lead early in the fourth quarter that slowly grew as time wound down.
As Harcourt’s offence was unable to convert several opportunities during crunch time, Kenny and Clements flexed their clutch gene at the death, combining for 13 crucial goals to guide Dunolly to a nail-biting victory.
Clements provided needed stability to the Eagles’ attack, making 16 of 20 attempts while Goodwin and Kenny scored 13 and eight respectively.
Bagley starred in patches throughout Harcourt’s narrow defeat, converting 24 shots alongside Van Dyk, who scored seven.