A FOUR-goal third quarter from Jayden Magro wasn’t enough to get Tyntynder over the line, with Nyah-Nyah West United hanging on for a four-point win at home in wet conditions on Saturday.
With persistent rain making ball movement difficult, it was the Demons who prevailed, with the ladder leaders recording their ninth win of the season – 10.13 (73) to 10.9 (69).
On a dark and dreary afternoon, Magro’s third quarter lit up the game, with the exciting forward kicking four goals for the term and six for the match, giving his side a four-point lead at three-quarter-time after the Bulldogs trailed by 15 points at the main break.
But that would be the last opportunity for Tyntynder supporters to cheer, with NNW United leading goalkicker Brandyn Grenfell’s fourth goal early in a scrappy last quarter helping the home side retake the lead.
From there, the Demons fought their way to victory, with neither side giving an inch over the next 25 minutes in the heavily contested battle.
With both teams’ ability to move the ball quickly on the outside taken from them with the greasy conditions, the match became a battle of the half-back lines early, with the Demons overusing the handball and the Bulldogs turning the ball over by foot when going forward.
Ethan Curran was given the task of tagging Bulldogs star Roy George early, with George having little influence in the first term, before working his way into the contest after quarter-time to become one of his side’s better players in the second half.
At the other end of the ground it was Elia Ware who was tasked with quelling the impact of Grenfell, who despite kicking the first goal of the match, didn’t have his usual dominant impact on the match.
While NNW United’s ball use improved in the second quarter, it was Tyntynder who turned the match on its head in the third term, with the Bulldogs not only getting on top in contested ball and around the stoppages, but also transitioning the ball better going forward.
The Demons on the other hand appeared flustered, and if it wasn’t for the hard work of defenders Joel Campbell, Ben Shadbolt and Mitch Grinham, would have found themselves further behind at the final break.
At the other end of the ground, it was Harry Simpson who was doing a lot of the damage, with his drive off half-back creating many of Tyntynder’s attacking plays, with Brock Storer, Marcus Wattie and George all finding plenty of the ball through the midfield in the second half.
Ethan Curran showed he will be a player of the future for the Demons, with the 16-year-old working hard in the midfield alongside Ethan Saville, who returned to his contested ball winning best in the trying conditions.
Despite the wet conditions, NNW United went into the match with three key forwards, with Grenfell, Alex Erlandson and Nick O’Neill all showing flashes of form across the four quarters, but also drifting in and out of the game with opportunities limited for the big men to dominate.
While pleased to get the four points, the news wasn’t all good for NNW United, with Lucas Iudica leaving the field after a heavy collision in the first quarter leaving the midfielder with a rib injury and unable to take any further part in the match.
The Demons now sit a game and a half clear on top of the ladder and will face rivals Woorinen in a fortnight’s time, while Tyntynder face a season-defining month of football, with games against Kerang, Cohuna and Balranald likely to determine their finals future.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| NNW United | 2.3 | 5.4 | 7.6 | 10.13 | 73 |
| Tyntynder | 1.2 | 5.4 | 6.5 | 10.9 | 69 |
VOTES
3 – Jayden Magro (Tyntynder)
2 – Ethan Curran (NNW United)
1 – Marcus Wattie (Tyntynder)
