WOORINEN have continued their late-season resurgence, claiming a third consecutive win in a wet-weather clash away at Lake Boga.
With rain tumbling for much of the first half, Woorinen were able to hold the Magpies at arm’s length for much of the game to win 17.10 (112) to 11.5 (71).
The 41-point win moved Woorinen to third spot, leapfrogging Mallee Eagles with three games to play before finals.
It also set up a must-watch clash next round when the Tigers take on second-placed Kerang hoping to end to the Blues’ eight-game win streak.
Both sides proved that wet-weather football doesn’t always equate to low-scoring football, scoring freely in the game’s early stages.
The Tigers got on top of the match early, kicking the first four goals, including William Collicoat opening the scoring using strong body work on his opponent.
But the Magpies found their feet soon after, Bodi Clune kicking their first before Zac Warne followed with a long-bomb shepherded over the goal line.
The arm wrestle continued for the rest of the first term, the Tigers scoring three goals thanks to two from Josh Stone and a second from Collicoat.
Lake Boga were able to bring the margin back to under three goals before the first break, thanks to goals from Kobe Ryan and Nathaniel Holmes-Brown.
Woorinen’s accuracy made the slight difference early, kicking 7.0 to 4.2 before quarter-time.
The Magpies’ forward pressure was on full display throughout the early stages, forcing the Tigers to kick the ball into contests and earning themselves repeat forward entries.
But once Woorinen picked their way out of defence, their transition was rapid and damaging, keeping the heat on the Magpies’ back line.
Coming into the second quarter, Lake Boga came out with intense pressure, but couldn’t make it count before Jye Barry was allowed to unload a long goal with no one manning the mark.
Barry performed admirably through the middle, seemingly unaffected by the wet football, getting the Tigers forward and winning clearances.
The strong midfielder kicked two goals, supporting the Tigers’ leading goalkickers Tom Langford and ruckman Arnold Kirby who both finished with four.
The influence of Woorinen’s Tyler Cameron came to the forefront as he patrolled the middle of the ground and read the Magpies’ forward movements to cut them off.
While the two sides traded attacking momentum, a late goal to Tom Langford took Woorinen into half-time on a high after both sides had kicked three consecutive goals for the quarter.
The rain soon cleared after the teams ran out to start the third term, and with the rain drying up, so did much of the scoring.
Lake Boga kept themselves in the game with determined effort, midfielders Xavier Sherlock, Zac Warne and Fraser Colville gritting their teeth and pushing their side forward.
The two teams split four goals in the third term.
Free-flowing football returned in the fourth, when the Magpies kicked the first, but they could only manage one more before Kirby kicked two of the Tigers’ four last-quarter goals.
Woorinen take their three-game win streak into round 15 when they take on the league’s hot team, Kerang.
While a win would not be enough to move the Tigers into second spot, a win over the reigning premiers would be a statement the Tigers would love to make.
Lake Boga will be chasing their third win of the season when they travel to take on the winless Koondrook-Barham, who they defeated by 41 points in round 4.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Lake Boga | 4.2 | 7.3 | 9.4 | 11.5 | 71 |
| Woorinen | 7.0 | 11.4 | 13.8 | 17.10 | 112 |
VOTES
3 – Tom Langford (Woorinen)
2 – Taylor Cameron (Woorinen)
1 – Jye Barry (Woorinen)
