Altona’s Mens Premier League was disappointing in their 0-3 loss to bottom placed Mentone on Sunday at Grant Reserve. It was even more disappointing for the many fans who turned out at home for veteran Tyson Priddle’s 250th Premier League appearance.

Altona started well, dominating possession, however were unable to convert this into a lead on the scoreboard. Milestone man Priddle had an early tomahawk shot from the left inside channel, but it went wide of the goals on the right.

Mentone took a 1-0 lead at half time, after the umpire missed body contact with the ball, and the player put the ball into the net.

Early in the second half, Altona’s players were again bewildered by an umpiring decision. A ball struck the Mentone defender on the foot during an Altona penalty corner. The clearing ball resulted in a break-away for Mentone, who scored at the other end.

Altona were down in finishing and polish across the board. While they dominated possession, they wasted opportunities in front of the net. Their penalty corners weren’t on target either.

Goal keeper Tom Pinnegar, who has had a stellar year, was not his usual self. Midfielder Chris Porter was first game back from a neck injury, and struggled for consistency, while Centre Half Keiran Symons was affected by illness all week, and lacked his usual spark. Veterans Mathew Higgins and Tyson Priddle were ok, and were joined by Jake Macvean in defence, and Harry Dolenc in the midfield. Although a turnover from Dolenc cost Altona a third goal, with Mentone going out 3-0 winners.

Coach Ben Guy was disappointed after the match “Aside from the importance of the milestone game for Priddle, this was a big opportunity for us in terms of achieving a final four appearance. We were a totally different team to the one that beat Hawthorn recently. We have identified areas for improvement and will be working hard during the week to quickly work on those.”