THE Mallee Eagles have secured their position in the top five with a nail-biting two-goal win against Balranald at the weekend.
After a slow start to the season, the Eagles seem to have found their rhythm as a team, the win against Balranald being their fifth in a row.
While the Roos led at every break until the last quarter, the Eagles were always just a couple of steps behind, and were determined not to let the premiership side beat them this time around.
Eagles playing coach Meg Allen said it was a great game of netball and was happy to be able to come away with the four points.
“I was really pleased with our intensity for the whole game and our ability to keep great defensive pressure all the way down the court against a really good team in Balranald,” she said.
Eagles defender Laura Fay was among the best on court for her side, going head to head with premiership-winning coach and league best and fairest Jess Parry in a tough contest throughout the match.
The loss means the Roos still sit just outside the top five on the Central Murray Netball A Grade ladder, and will need get themselves back on the winners’ list to have any chance of defending their premiership title this season.
“It was a disappointing loss for us and a game we really wanted to win as a team,” Parry said.
“Credit to Lalbert – they kept coming at us all day and eventually got over us in the last five minutes.”
Balranald will travel to Nyah to take on the Demons this weekend, while the Eagles will face another big test against Woorinen at home.
Balranald 46
Mallee Eagles 48
