ANOTHER FALCONS COMEBACK NOT QUITE ENOUGH

WEST Perth was able to stage another terrific comeback in the last quarter on Sunday with three straight goals putting the Falcons in front, but this time it wasn’t quite enough with East Perth's West Coast teenager Tom Lamb kicking the winning goal at Medibank Stadium.

East Perth was on top of the contest for most of the afternoon and still led by 25 points early in the last quarter, but West Perth has made a habit of delivering stunning comebacks this season and delivered another.

The Falcons kicked the next three goals and that saw them hit the front when Michael Lourey booted his third of the day at the 22-minute mark, but the Royals continued to find a way to regain the lead they held for most of the game.

Eventually it was 18-year-old first-year West Coast draftee Lamb who came out to mark strongly, and kick truly for his fourth of the match as East Perth beat West Perth 10.12 (72) to 9.14 (68).

The win means that East Perth now sits a game clear in fourth position on the ladder and is just a game behind both second placed West Perth and third placed Peel Thunder.

Reigning Sandover Medallist Aaron Black was West Perth's best working hard all afternoon both on the wing and on the ball finishing with 29 possessions, nine marks and a goal.

Lourey ended up kicking three goals for West Perth from 13 possessions and six marks, but he was the Falcons' only multiple goalscorer.

Andrew Strijk worked hard for West Perth with 25 possessions and 11 marks with Ray Bartholomew playing his best game of the season with 24 disposals and 10 marks.

Laine Rasmussen finished with 21 touches, Steven Browne 19 and Marcus Adams 19 along with 13 marks and six tackles as he started the game running with Brant Colledge, and finished off on a wing.

West Perth got the opening goal of the game through Strijk when he marked strongly in the goal square, but that proved to be the only time the Falcons would lead in the game until the dying minutes.

East Perth responded with the last three goals of the first term courtesy of Lamb, Paul Johnson and Patrick McGinnity to see the Royals take a 14-point lead into the first break.

It took almost 20 minutes for the first goal of the second quarter with West Perth booting five behinds in that time, but eventually Black got the ball in space, sidestepped an East Perth defender and kicked truly to get the margin back to five points.

Almost immediately, Lee responded with a terrific goal on the run for the Royals before the Falcons answered again through Rasmussen who kicked just his second goal of the season.

East Perth still led by five points at half-time and then dominated the third quarter and it all started with a goal inside the first 30 seconds through Scott Lycett.

It took another 16 minutes but East Perth got the next goal through Lamb, and then less than two minutes later another to Tom Omodei as he nailed the first goal of his career in his second game.

When Lamb kicked his third before three quarter-time East Perth still had a 25-point advantage but a late goal for West Perth to Brayden Antonio gave the Falcons some hope.

West Perth was finishing to the scoring end as well and after East Perth goaled through Johnson at the four-minute mark to again lead by 25 points, the Falcons gained the ascendancy even if they were inaccurate on goal.

Eventually their persistence paid off and three successive goals to Matt Johnson, Nick Rodda and then Lourey had West Perth in front by three points for the first time since the game's opening minutes.

The tide then shifted again in the dying minutes with East Perth making desperate entries into attack, and it ended up paying off with Lamb finding some space to take a strong mark, and then go back and kick the winning goal with less than a minute remaining on the clock.

Meanwhile, East Perth's reserves also consolidated their place in the top five with a 14.14 (98) to 11.4 (70) win over West Perth at Medibank Stadium.

Tyson Moulton kicked four goals for West Perth and Chris Franklin two while Troy Manners gathered 24 possessions, Dean Munns 23 (17 tackles), Martin Geraghty 19 and Mitch Peirce 17.

Max Alexander (seven possessions, three marks) and Marc Crisp (seven disposals, one goal) both made successful returns as well for West Perth after long injury layoffs.

East Perth's colts started off the day at Medibank Stadium beating West Perth 13.6 (84) to 10.11 (71) with Mitch Dobson outstanding for the Royals with 27 possessions and four goals.

Ethan Mullane kicked three goals for West Perth with Ethan Hills adding two but it was Clint Hinchcliffe who was the star for the Falcons with 36 possessions, six tackles, 14 entries inside-50 and two goals.

WEST PERTH        1.2    3.7    5.9    9.14    (68)
EAST PERTH        3.4    4.6    8.10    10.12    (72)

WEST PERTH – Goals: Lourey 3; Rasmussen, Rodda, Johnson, Strijk, Antonio, Black.
Best: Black, Strijk, Rodda, Bartholomew, Morrow, Browne, Lourey, Adams.
EAST PERTH – Goals: Lamb 4; Johnson 2; McGinnity, Lycett, Omodei, Lee.
Best: McGinnity, Lee, Payne, Lamb, Johnson, Butler, Fraser.