By Shane Fleming
Balranald kept their finals hopes alive with 27-point win over a determined Koondrook-Barham on Saturday – moving to within six points of fifth-placed Lake Boga with three rounds to play.
The Roos didn’t have things all their own way however, having to come from a goal down at the final break to secure the four points, with a five-goal last quarter seeing them run away with a 13.14.92 to 10.5.65 victory.
Balranald coach Ben Mahon was pleased to get the win, acknowledging the Raiders’ ability to push his team after the main break.
“To be honest, we probably should have had the game won at half time really,” Mahon said.
“We played really well in the first quarter when we were kicking against the breeze and then in the second, we just seemed to lose our composure a bit and our turnovers cost us.
“They played really well, their kids had a real crack and Jordan Iudica I thought was fantastic for them as well – it was heart in the mouth sort of stuff for us when we were down at three quarter time really.”
With their season on the line, the home side lifted after the final change, making the most of the advantage of kicking with the two-goal breeze. The Roos big-name players also lifted their work rate out of the middle, with Balranald kicking the opening goal of the last term a minute in and never looking back.
“At three quarter time we asked the midfield to lift for us – we put Jydon (Neagle), Ryan Middlebrook and Colin Andrews on-ball for the start of the last quarter and put it on them to get their hands on the ball first and win it out of the middle as they’re our three best clearance players – and along with ‘Larry’ (Jordan Wilkins) and we got on top of them from there,” Mahon said.
“Our big players stood up in the last quarter when we needed them – Drew Lloyd, Colin Andrews, (Ben) Fuller kicked a couple of goals and Jydon (Neagle) was everywhere.
“We probably had too much experience for them in the end – they had a lot of young kids but they were really good, they were right in the game until half way through the last quarter, they just run out of legs in the end.”
Ben Fuller finished with a game high five goals despite being often double teamed by Reagan Hamilton and Jacob Barrington, who continuously sat in the hole as the loose man in defence in front of Fuller during the second and third terms. With the game on the line, Balranald then swung their extra man forward, making Barrington accountable and allowing Fuller to get dangerous in the last quarter.
Helping the Raiders cause through the second and third stanzas was their midfield’s work at the clearances, with Jordan Iudica, Jack Shannon and Patrick Goble all being able to impact the game, along with ruckman Owen Uaongo.
For Balranald, Neagle was once again the most dominant player on the ground, while Ryan Middlebrook also put in a solid four quarter performance. Drew Lloyd was strong rotating between the midfield and up forward, as was Colin Andrews who kicked two last quarter goals when the game was at its hottest.
Balranald will face another must win game this Saturday against Swan Hill – while Koondrook-Barham will attempt to win their second match of the season when they host Tooleybuc-Manangatang.
VOTES
3 – Jydon Neagle (Balranald)
2 – Ryan Middlebrook (Balranald)
1 – Jack Shannon (Koondrook-Barham)
MATCH RESULTS –
BALRANALD 2.4 6.7 8.10 13.14.92
KOONDROOK-BARHAM 1.1 4.2 10.4 10.5.65GOALS – BALRANALD – Ben Fuller 5, Drew Lloyd 3, Colin Andrews 2, Seth Connell, Jydon Neagle, Connor Soraggi 1.
KOONDROOK-BARHAM – Colin McVeigh 3, Max Baldissera 2, Jack Shannon 2, Patrick Goble, Jack Lambert, Joshua McMahon 1.BEST – BALRANALD – Jydon Neagle, Ryan Middlebrook, Drew Lloyd, Jack Salau, Tom Salau, Jordan Wilkins
KOONDROOK-BARHAM – Jack Shannon, Reagan Hamilton, Patrick Goble, Owen Uaongo, Max Baldissera, Tom Amor
