NYAH-Nyah West United’s unbeaten start to 2024 came to an end on Saturday as three unanswered last-quarter goals helped Kerang record a come-from-behind 11-point win.
After trailing by seven points at three-quarter-time and being down two rotations, the reigning premiers turned it on in the final quarter, with Jordan McNeil and Tom Hetherington kicking the final three goals to see the reigning premiers home 9.12 (66) to 8.7 (55).
While the victory lifted the Blues to third on the Central Murray ladder, it came at a cost, with Ryan Gillingham (ankle), Bradlee Pay (concussion), Lachlan Ross (hamstring) and Liam Jardine (concussion) all out injured in an at-times tough and heavily contested match.
Down two rotations for the best part of the second half and against an opponent full of confidence and running, it could be argued that Saturday’s win was season-defining for Kerang, who while still suffering the yips in front of goal, continue to find a way to win when their backs are against the wall.
Although walking away with their first defeat for the season, NNW United lost no admirers, having taken the challenge up to the reigning premiers for large parts of the second and third quarters with their outside run and spread from the contest.
The first quarter belonged to the home side, however, with the Blues wasting several opportunities to go into quarter-time with a sizeable lead due to their inaccuracy in front of goal and poor forward entries.
NNW United could also be accused of having been wasteful with the ball in the opening quarter but found their rhythm after the break, with Charlie Boulton, Nic Threadgold and Jordan Iudica all finding plenty of the ball through the midfield.
The Demons’ backline also proved to be a great source of attack, with Campbell Everitt, Mitch Grinham and Joel Walsh not only intercepting plenty of Kerang’s errant forward entries but creating plenty of attacking forays of their own.
Kerang had plenty of consistent ball winners, with Josh Hann dominating the midfield in the opening half, along with Sam Heavyside and Marty Kelly, who was at his contested-ball-winning best from the opening minutes of the game.
Nick Lang was another Blue who had an influence on the match, with the Kerang ruckman taking the points in his battle against Blake Larkings, who also fought hard for his team both around the ground and at the contest.
The most dominant player for Kerang, however, was their captain Josh Nitschke, who started across half-back before moving into the midfield after injuries to Gillingham and Pay.
Nitschke not only found plenty of the ball but used it efficiently going inside 50, with the captain having a hand in all three final-quarter goals which turned the match in the home side’s favour.
While Kerang’s inaccuracy in front of goal continues to be a concern this season, the other worry is their lack of a key forward, with the Blues struggling to find a strong marking target in their attacking half of the ground.
Whereas the Demons had Brandyn Grenfell, who kicked four goals and had to contend with both Rylee Gitsham and Lachie Ross for much of the afternoon, just two of Kerang’s nine goals came from marks inside the forward 50.
One player who could fill that void going forward is Tom Hetherington, who along with Jordan McNeil, kicked three goals.
NNW United will host Lake Boga following this weekend’s King’s Birthday bye, while Kerang will take on arch rivals Cohuna.
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Kerang | 2.4 | 4.7 | 6.9 | 9.12 | 66 |
| NNW United | 2.0 | 5.2 | 8.4 | 8.7 | 55 |
VOTES
3 – Josh Nitschke (Kerang)
2 – Campbell Everitt (NNW United)
1 – Charlie Boulton (NNW United)
