Coming off a tough loss last week, the Carlton Reserves held strong to fight off the Zebras at home.

In a low-scoring affair, the Blues prevailed in another gritty win at IKON Park, mirroring their AFL counterparts by defeating Sandringham 9.11 (65) to 6.11 (47).

Sam Docherty once again led brilliantly to finish with a game-high 37 disposals, while Ben Camporeale (33 disposals), Liam McMahon (four goals) and Billy Wilson (28 disposals) had impressive showings.

It was all Carlton in the early going, gaining forward territory before composure from Harry Lemmey found Ashton Moir. With a set shot from a slight angle, Moir converted to get the first on the board for the Reserves.

AFL-listed duo Sam Docherty (six disposals) and Jordan Boyd (nine disposals) both showed plenty of bounce off half back early, slingshotting the Blues forward by foot.

After an extended period of back-and-forth footy, crafty work from Ollie Pool and Darcy Hogg (six first-quarter disposals) opened up the ground, as Moir got out the back to kick his second early in the piece.

Young defender Billy Wilson (10 disposals) gritted his teeth in defence throughout the first, while tall Ethan Phillips (eight disposals) was also commanding in the defensive 50 under increasing Sandringham pressure.

Matt Duffy also got his first taste of the action, with the Irish rookie playing down back in his first game nearly two years after first signing with the Blues before an ACL injury.

Despite looking in control for majority of the quarter, missed opportunities in the front half constricted the Reserves to only a five-point lead at the siren.

Following the first break, the Reserves were once again on top early, but chances went begging going forward. That was until an intercept from Phillips started a chain of linking handballs through the middle, ending with Hayes assisting captain Liam McMahon to give the Blues the first of the second term.

Wilson (19 first-half disposals) continued where he left off in the first, while Harry Charleson continued to grow into the contest with 10 disposals in the opening two quarters.

Despite the Zebras bringing the heat in the second, it was Luke Nelson (seven disposals) who kicked his first of the game with a classy set shot finish around the body following a spell of good forward pressure.

Poole started to make his presence feel known, taking a clever contested mark after some good body work. Kicking true with a set shot from 40 metres out, he gave the Blues three in a row.

As time ran out, Cooper Vickery (nine disposals) put the jets on to set up McMahon with a sizzling left-footed pass in the middle of the ground: with the siren sounding at the top of his mark, the skipper held his nerve to kick his second, bolstering the Blues’ lead to 25 points at half time.

After the main break, Sandringham’s Zak Jones loomed dangerously with the opening two goals of the third term, before debutant Stirling Phipps-Parsons  pulled a kick to find Hayes, with the experienced utility giving the Blues a quick response.

With Sandringham putting the pressure on early, veteran Sam Docherty (23 disposals to three-quarter time) showed his poise behind the ball. 

Following a rebound from the backline, Jordan Boyd (17 disposals) found space down the wing, before the clever Nelson provided the perfect assist to allow McMahon to run out the back and kick his third.

However, midway through the term, the Blues were unable to call on the services of Marc Pittonet, who - after putting together a strong performance - was taken out of the game purely as a precaution following a big hit in a ruck contest.

Despite a stagnant second half of the term, the siren concluded the third quarter with the Blues going into the final break with a 16-point lead.

The Reserves got off to the perfect start to extend their buffer, as Moir assisted McMahon for his fourth of the night. With the momentum sitting with the Carlton Reserves, co-captain Heath Ramshaw and first-year Blue Ben Camporeale started to turn up the heat in the engine room.

As familiar duo Docherty (37 disposals) and Boyd (28 disposals) continued to link up and take control in the Blues back half, the home side was able to professionally run down the clock and ensure a second victory of the season.

The Carlton Reserves will take on Sydney next Friday 16 May at 3:35pm at the SCG.

SANDRINGHAM                1.5      2.6     5.8       6.11 (47) 
CARLTON RESERVES        2.4      6.7      8.7     9.11 (65) 

GOALS 
Carlton: McMahon 4, Moir 2, Hayes, Nelson, Poole

BEST
Carlton: Wilson, Phillips, McMahon, Docherty, Hayes, Nelson