Panthers pounce in the battle of the football heavyweights

Illaroo and Milton Ulladulla produced one of the best matches of the season on Saturday with the Panthers recording a 3-1 win.

The loss was Ilaroo's first of the season, while the Panthers' unbeaten run now extends to over a season and a half.

Illaroo got the ball rolling, in the goalkicking department, when Hayden Strand scored at the 23-minute mark

Jarrod Murray hit back for Milton just before halftime and then Broc Barbaric scored early in the second term to give the Panthers the lead.

An amazing long-distance effort from Nathan Avery helped Milton seal its 3-1 win.

Milton coach Nick Palagyi said the match lived up to everyone's expectations.

"It's not always the case with these sorts of matches but I think this one lived up to the hype," he said.

"For the first time in a long time, the weather wasn't a factor, so both sides were able to play much more freely and it made for a much better spectacle."

Coach Palagyi said the Roos got the jump on his team.

"Illaroo started faster and had the better of the opening 20 minutes - they deserved the opening goal based on that pressure," he said.

"They made it tough for us early on and credit to them for that, but despite conceding the first goal I thought we defended really well throughout that period, and we didn't panic.

"Ray Gyorgy was massive for us defensively all day and put his body on the line on more than one occasion. I'm amazed he got through the match given the amount of punishment he took, but he was immense."

The Milton mentor said they had to come up with plan B due to Illaroo's strong start.

"After the opening exchanges, it was clear we had to adapt a few things tactically, and I was really pleased with how quickly we were able to implement that," he said.

"In previous matches, we haven't been able to switch gears as fluidly as we did on Saturday - that was a real indication that we're continuing to develop and improve as a squad."

The Panthers were prepared to work hard to get the win, according to their coach.

"The other big positive across the day was the amount of heart and determination that the whole group showed,"Palagyi said.

"We never shy away from putting the hard work in, but there was a bit extra in this performance. It's a tough one to describe, but within the group and for those watching it live, you could definitely feel it."

The Panthers' attacking game also clicked into gear.

"We picked up our second early into the second half when Antonio Lavalle released Broc Barbaric who drove into the box and slotted the ball between the keeper's legs," the premiership winning coach said.

"There was a lot to like about that goal and Broc and Tones [Antonio Lavalle] are in great form, but the sleight of hand shown by Brent Anderson, during the build up to help get Broc away, deserves a mention too - it was pure class."

The screamer by Avery was one of the post-match talking points.

"Not to be outdone, Nathan Avery brought some class of his own to a dead ball 15 minutes later to seal the match," Palagyi said.

"He [Avery] destroyed his boot in a tackle just beforehand and had to tape it back onto his foot before taking the free kick, but it was worth the wait. He couldn't have placed the shot any more snugly into the top corner - it was unstoppable."

The coach's respect for Illaroo remains high.

"Overall I would describe the match as being a battle," he said.

" It was tough and physical from start to finish and both sides really wanted to win it.

"There's a reason Illaroo are top of the table at the moment and they deserve to be there but Saturday was ours.

"Although it was in no way an easy victory, I believe we fully deserved to come away with the points."