SANDHURST scored a regulation 54-point win over Maryborough in a wind-affected QEO clash on Saturday.

The Dragons were able to score at both ends of the ground whereas the Magpies did not post a major at the non-preferred city end all match.

Sandhurst was well served by robust midfielder Blair Holmes and pacy youngster Harry O'Meara while key defender Sam McGee completely closed down Maryborough's half-forward line.

McGee hauled in mark after mark, with the ground clearances controlled by Tom Hartney and Daniel Symes.

Using the stiff breeze which favoured the Barnard Street end the Dragons had five goals on the board by the first change.

Spearhead Ricky Symes drilled three of those goals from set shots, the last sailing through just after the siren had sounded.

With Holmes, Nick Stagg and O'Meara able to find plenty of space to work in, the Dragons added a couple more in the second quarter.

Maryborough finally broke their goal-scoring drought  five minutes into the second stanza when Corey Taylor snapped accurately from the boundary line.

Taylor's goal was followed by a pair to Cameron Rinaldi, the only time the Magpies managed back-to-back majors for the day.

Michael Noonan was the livewire behind Maryborough's mini-resurgence and it was his bullet-like pass to Rinaldi which gave the Magpie key forward his second shot at goal.

Tyson MacIlwain, defender Lachlan Woodward and co-coach Joel Malone all tried valiantly to lift the Magpies, but there wasn't enough support across the ground.

Lee Coghlan and Alex Hywood combined cleverly to allow Coghlan to snap a Sandhurst reply to Rinaldi's brace.

The teams headed for the change rooms with the accurate Dragons ahead by 20 points.

Again when it was their turn to attack the city end, Maryborough was unable to snare a goal. It looked momentarily as though Cameron Skinner had succeeded with a snap shot, but a conference between a central umpire, the goal umpire and the two boundaries ended up in a "touched, all clear" verdict.

Joel Wharton, Stagg and Hywood all booted Dragon majors with Hywood's posted after a spectacular tumbling mark. Sandhurst's clear edge in pace, with winger Codie Price also prominent among the running brigade, had the QEO specialists  in the clear whenever the Dragons won contested possessions.

Maryborough did fight out the last quarter adding 2.4 yet the Dragons showed the visitors how to score goals at the city end.

Sandhurst nailed 5.3 as the match wound down with Coghlan, Holmes, Callum Prest and Wharton (from a clever snap around the corner in the goal square) adding majors.

For the second, successive week Symes was rested at the 19-minute mark of the last quarter. With the game well and truly done and dusted there seemed no sense in keeping him on the field.

Sandhurst coach Tony Graham said to restrict any opposition club to five goals was a sound effort.

"We probably fell into their hands a little bit in the second quarter, but after that we were able to get on top," he said.

Graham added that gun on-baller Jon Coghlan had been training well and would most likely resume in round 18. Coghlan needed to complete a little more contact work, the coach said.

And key defender Malcolm Borchard was ready to play and would definitely be in the side against Kyneton this week for the Hurst's second last 2012 home-and-away round.

Half-time scores: Sandhurst 7.2 (44), Maryborough 3.6 (24).

Full-time: Sandhurst 15.7 (97) def. Maryborough 5.13 (43)

Major goal kickers --  Sandhurst: Ricky Symes 4, Lee Coghlan 2, Joel Wharton 2, Nick Stagg 2.

Maryborough: Cameron Rinaldi 2.

VOTES

5: Blair Holmes (Sh)

4: Sam McGee (Sh)

3: Nick Stagg (Sh)

2: Tom Hartney (Sh)

1: Michael Noonan (Mb)