KOONDROOK-BARHAM v WOORINEN
A SPOT in the top three will be the prize when Koondrook-Barham hosts Woorinen Saturday afternoon.
The fourth placed Raiders continue to breathe down the necks of the third placed Tigers, with a win set to see Koondrook-Barham draw level on points with the yellow and black army.
Both teams come into the match in form having each won their past three matches against Swan Hill, Tooleybuc-Manangatang and Lake Boga and all by similar margins.
Much of the Raiders improvement has come from their ability to transition the ball quickly from defence to attack, with Emma Peacock and Larney Allen quickly developing into one of the strongest defensive combinations in the league.
Saturday will present perhaps their biggest challenge to date however, with Tayla Bennett and Willow Conlan considered one of the best attacking combinations in the Central Murray, with the Tigers having scored more goals than any other team this year.
While Koondrook-Barham have taken huge strides forward this season, Woorinen have the perfect mix of experience and youth that should see them go in as slight favourites in a genuine flip of the coin match.
Tip – Woorinen to win by one goal.
TOOLEYBUC-MANANGATANG v BALRANALD
RIVALS Tooleybuc-Manangatang and Balranald will lock horns on Saturday in a match that will go a long way towards determining the fate of both clubs finals aspirations.
Both the Saints (eighth) and Roos (seventh) currently find themselves well entrenched in the race for the top five, but with Swan Hill and Cohuna sitting directly above them and essentially a game clear, the loser of Saturday’s encounter could quickly find themselves lagging behind as we reach the half way point of the season.
The Roos are set to go in with an unchanged line-up from the one which suffered a shock 11-goal loss to Lake Boga a fortnight ago, a result that would have surely burned deep over the past fortnight.
The Saints on the other hand will go in full of confidence following their upset win over Cohuna, with experienced goal shooter Zoe Morris expected to give them the edge in another close contest Saturday.
Tip – Tooleybuc-Manangatang to win by two goals.
LAKE BOGA v TYNTYNDER
THE pain of last week’s one-goal loss looks set to drive Tyntynder into their must-win battle with Lake Boga Saturday afternoon.
The Bulldogs came from the clouds against arch-rivals Swan Hill last Saturday, only to fall one goal short in a heart stopping finish.
That loss, which would have seen the Bulldogs climb right back into finals calculations, will count for little on Saturday against a young and improving Magpies outfit that will welcome new recruit Maddie Hickey to their line-up this week.
Hickey will play her first match in the black and white at the expense of talented midcourter Ruby Ryan, who will miss Saturday’s clash with a sprained ankle sustained in her team’s last start win over Balranald.
Although very little separates either side, the Bulldogs should have a slight advantage with goal shooter Violet Corrie finding form and a dominant midcourt of Taylah Woodward, Tamara Weiss and Elvie Kelly-Britten.
Tip – Tyntynder to win by three goals.
KERANG v NNW UNITED
WHILE all four preceding games are expected to be close encounters, the final match of round 9 appears to be a mismatch on paper with undefeated Kerang to host winless Nyah-Nyah West United at Riverside Park.
Although there may be a fair gap between the two clubs from a win-loss perspective, there were positive signs stemming from the Demons last start loss to the Mallee Eagles, who were competitive for large periods against the premiership favourites.
NNW United’s Achilles heel has undoubtedly been their ability to score, with defender Taylen Blachford and midcourter Madi Jones filling the shooting roles for the Demons.
They won’t find it any easier on Saturday up against Kerang’s dominant defensive duo of Chloe Adams and Maddy Black, who have conceded just 36 goals per game on average this season.
Tip – Kerang to win by 12 goals.
