KOONDROOK-Barham overcame a determined Tooleybuc-Manangatang by 13-goals at the weekend, with the Raiders confirming their status as genuine finals contenders.
It was a win set up by a dominant first half from the home team, with Koondrook-Barham outscoring the Saints 27-15 across the opening half an hour.
Tooleybuc-Manangatang responded in the second half and had reduced the margin to just five goals early in the final quarter, before the Raiders again responded to kick clear and win 52-39.
It was an encouraging performance from both teams, with the Koondrook-Barham co-coach Emma Peacock full of praise for both her team and her opposition post-match.
“They (Tooleybuc-Manangatang) didn’t stop for the whole four quarters, I think they got on top of us from the get go and they were winning plenty of the ball but our girls responded quick,” Peacock said.
“Our goaling end did an exceptional job, between Larney (Allan) and Erin (Moerenhout) they played amazingly well, especially for such a new combination and I felt we probably controlled the game for large parts from then on.
“In the third quarter they (Tooleybuc-Manangatang) took a bit more control of the game than we did. They didn’t stop all game which was a credit to them.”
Larney Allan was swung into attack for the Raiders with the omission of Shanae Haw, who looks set to spend an extended period on the sidelines, with Allan teaming up with shooter Erin Moerenhout.
It was an impressive first up performance from the pair, who had never played as a combination until Saturday.
“Losing Shanae was huge, plus having Sophie (Peacock) out as well has been a bit of a blow to the team and meant we’ve had to reshuffle our team around a bit,” Peacock said.
“It was good to see us actually come together quite well, especially in our attack end.
“The girls (Allan and Moerenhout) barely even trained together on Thursday night so it was pretty impressive with how well they played.
“Larney (Allan) can do it all, she’s a very good player, very versatile and we can put her wherever we need her as she’s very adaptive.
“She’s always very positive and if you say jump, she’ll say how high. She’s a very good player to have and a very good teammate to have on your side.”
The connection between the Raiders’ midcourters Elly Bookham, Remy Doyle and Ayla McGowan and their attacking end was one of the key differences between the two teams, with the trio also forcing several key turnovers down the court, along with Peacock who was dominant in defence.
“I feel the pressure we put on down the court meant we probably capitalised more in their goaling end,” Peacock said.
“Even then their goalies were exceptional and barely missed, we just pushed out the four quarters and made sure we ran the game out.
“They come out very strong in that third quarter and I think we just kept going in that fourth and didn’t let them capitalise anymore when they were trying to get back into the game.”
Olivia Fowler was strong in defence for the Saints and was among the visitors better players, along with midcourter Jayda Plant and goal keeper Taylah Morris, who worked hard in defence.
The win sees Koondrook-Barham solidify in fourth spot on the ladder ahead of this Saturday’s all-important clash with fifth placed Swan Hill, while Tooleybuc-Manangatang will host the Cohuna Kangas in a must-win match for both clubs.
Final Whistle
| Koondrook-Barham | 52 |
| Tooleybuc-Manangatang | 39 |
