THE Casey Scorpions have suffered a defeat at the hands of the Coburg Lions, losing by eight points at Piranha Oval on Sunday.

It was a disappointing performance from the Scorpions, after they again let a significant first-half lead slip.

On a beautiful day for football with sunny conditions and only a slight breeze, Michael Evans started the day off brilliantly with the opening goal, but it was Coburg with the next two to take an early lead.

Dean Kent, who started brightly, regained the ascendency for Casey when he scored from the 50-metre mark, and Dom Barry followed suit, scoring a fantastic long goal from beyond the arc. 

When Casey-listed Tim Smith took advantage of a free kick and slotted his first, the Scorpions were on top, and took a well-deserved 18-point lead into the first break.

The opening to the second term was a scrappy one, with both teams struggling to get clear entry into their forward line. Coburg was the first on the board, when it took advantage of a Casey turnover in the midfield, scoring after 12-minutes. But a beautiful passage of play through the middle of the ground delivered Jake Best his first goal, and gave Casey the momentum.

Daniel Nicholson made the most of his opportunity up forward, scoring a goal, after some excellent forward pressure, before Barry’s second effort resulted in a major for Patrick Rosier. Suddenly, Casey was up by 30 points.

The momentum switched almost immediately late in the term, as Coburg scored the next three goals in quick succession, reducing the margin to just 12 points at half-time. It was a disappointing finish to the half from the Scorpions.

The swirling breeze increased as the second half begun, making it tough for players. Both teams’ pressure through the midfield was good, again making scoring difficult. It took 17 minutes before Coburg was able to boot the first of the term, however the next two came quickly, and it was in the lead by the 21-minute mark.

Jack Fitzpatrick, who had been playing predominantly as a forward, was shifted into the ruck to try to bring him into the contest. He had an almost immediate impact, delivering the ball to the Casey midfielders, who were attempting to lift the team. They were rewarded, when Evans unleashed a monstrous torpedo from 60 metres, putting the Scorpions in front by the narrowest of margins at the final change.

Fitzpatrick continued much of the ruck work in the final term, and again had an influence, as Casey started to win the ball out of the middle. However, with Coburg making a concerted effort to congest the Scorpions forward line, Casey was unable to gain clean possession up forward.

In the end, Fitzpatrick took it upon himself, snatching the ball from a ruck contest and snapping the ball through for a goal, extending the lead to seven points early in the term.

But the momentum immediately switched again, with Coburg suddenly controlling the football. After a string of behinds, it finally managed to snatch the lead with a goal at the 17-minute mark. And when the Lions kicked truly four minutes later, the lead was nine points. Although the Scorpions had a couple of chances going forward, they were unable to drag the margin back. And when the final siren sounded, Coburg ran out victors by eight points.

Viv Michie was the best of the Melbourne-listed players with 34 touches, working tirelessly through the midfield. He certainly put his hand up for senior selection.

Jordie McKenzie was his usual tenacious self, picking up 35 touches, and providing immense pressure in the middle of the ground, and Sam Blease worked hard in the backline for his 23 touches.

With 30 touches and two goals, Evans had his best game for the season, while Kent (27 touches) and Luke Tapscott (23) were also among Casey’s best.

The loss sees Casey remain in ninth position on the VFL ladder. The Scorpions have the next two weeks off, before returning to Casey Fields to face Collingwood on Saturday, June 7.