NYAH-NYAH West United have triumphed away in Balranald in a ferocious back-and-forth battle, the win putting them two games clear on top of the ladder.
After being neck-and-neck for the game’s first three quarters, the Demons found their needed breathing room in the final term to win 11.9 (75) to 7.11 (53).
From the outset there was little space for each midfield to work with as each side barrelled through the contest, looking to gain momentum over their opponents.
That midfield battle between Nyah’s on-ball trio of Jordan Iudica, Dom Gallo and Ethan Saville and the Roos’ Harrison Soraggi, Matthew Neagle and Kobe Lloyd remained intense all game.
Iudica was integral to Nyah’s win, extracting the football from tight spaces and getting to Nyah’s outside runners at first opportunity while up against a talented opposition unit.
NNW United co-coach Nick O’Neill described Iudica’s game as “just so good”.
“When we need Jordan to be doing that inside work he can be right in there, or he can be on the outside with his run and his beautiful left-foot kick,” O’Neill said.
“He’s so fit and can run all day – he’s just a great addition to our midfield.
“We can really work around him. He sets the tones really well for the rest of our midfield and those guys really feed off him.
“Our aim is always to win those midfield one-on-ones on the inside and then just go.
“I think everyone knows our game plan now.
“It’s just a matter of them being able to stop us.”
NNW United’s forward pressure set the tone early in the game, with their forwards working hard to corral the Roos’ backline and hem them into the Demons’ attacking areas.
But down the other end, Balranald’s Colin Andrews started strongly in the Roos’ forward line, kicking two goals in the opening quarter to finish with three for the game.
Demons key forward Brandon Grenfell extended his lead at the top of the league’s goal kicking ladder, booting six of his side’s goals and keeping the Roos’ backline accountable.
Grenfell was held to a single goal in the opening half, which came halfway through the second quarter, but got off the leash in the second half and was game-changing.
Trailing by just eight points at half-time, the Demons piled on eight second-half goals to the Roos’ three, turning the game on its head and silencing the Balranald faithful.
Young-gun Max Thompson finished the game with two goals for the Demons while fellow youngster Zac O’Shannassy had a big impact with his run and aggression.
The Demons’ defensive duo of Joel Walsh and Joel Campbell stood strong through Balranald’s pressure, taking important contested marks and showing composure in ball movement.
O’Neill said the win showed his side’s desperation to get on top in the tough games.
“It was rough and tough, and we stood up to it all really well,” he said.
“I’m really happy with how we battled with a couple of blokes out.
“We just had to grit our teeth and stick to our structures and that’s what we did.
“We set ourselves up for that final quarter and we were able to just put our foot down and go with it.
“It just shows that we can beat these top sides no matter where we are, and hopefully it keeps us in good stead as we come to the end of the year.”
Kobe Lloyd was one Roos player who didn’t stop all day, bursting out of stoppages with speed and strength.
Jack Salau continued his strong form for the Roos off half-back and on-ball, while Matthew Neagle and Ian Fuller were two more who exerted influence on the match.
But Balranald co-coach Jydon Neagle, who didn’t play the match, said he was disappointed in his team’s lack of decisiveness in attack and effort.
“Nyah played four quarters of football today and we played two and a half,” Neagle said.
“We were in the contest. Nyah lifted and we didn’t lift with them.
“In that third quarter we were getting the footy there and it was just coming out too easy.
“We allowed them to run in their numbers, which was something that we worked on and didn’t execute properly – it was on us.
“It’s not skill-errors; it’s the effort based stuff that we’re trying to figure out.
“Blokes putting their bodies on the line is what is going to win us games, and at the moment we don’t have enough of that all across the ground.”
NNW United will look to continue their winning momentum as they host Tyntynder next round, while Balranald will travel to Cohuna desperate to claim their seventh win of the season.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| BALRANALD | 2.2 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 7.11 | 53 |
| NNW UNITED | 2.4 | 3.5 | 8.8 | 11.9 | 75 |
VOTES
3 – Jordan Iudica (NNW United)
2 – Brandyn Grenfell (NNW United)
1 – Joel Walsh (NNW United)
