MACORNA took a giant step towards locking away fourth spot on the Golden Rivers ladder with a last gasp, come from behind four-point win over Wandella during the weekend’s NAIDOC round.
With inclement weather making scoring difficult, the Tigers found themselves trailing by 13 points early in the last quarter.
But they unable to make inroads on the scoreboard despite the ball spending much of the term in their forward half.
After several missed opportunities and with the game slipping away, Grady Smith was eventually able to break clear of the pack and kicked truly, reducing the margin to just two points with less than two minutes left on the clock.
The Tigers would again win possession of the ball from the centre and sent it deep into attack, where Josh Cameron was rewarded with a holding free kick from which he kicked the match-winning goal.
The 6.6 (42) to 5.8 (38) result left Wandella two wins plus percentage behind Macorna, with just five games remaining.
Macorna coach Scott Wishart was pleased with his team’s effort and endeavour after a storm early in the second half turned the match into a contested slog.
“We let them score an early one at the start of the last quarter into the wind and we thought we we might have been up against after that,” Wishart said.
“We had all of the play but we just couldn’t score.
“There would have been 30 players in our defensive 50 for much of the term – the ball lived in our forward 50 for the last quarter but it was just stoppage after stoppage.
“It was a lot of hard work to get over the line and as I said to the boys after the match, those wins mean a lot more when you have to work that hard to get them.
“It was a great effort from both teams, it was tough work and nobody gave an inch all day.”
Macorna were able to get first hands on the ball around the stoppages, with Jordan Simpson moving into the midfield in the absence of Malcolm Neiwand and playing his best game for the season.
Shaun Haffenden, Jacob McIntosh and Jack Featherby also found the conditions to their liking, as did attacking half back Nick Ingleton and key forward Lachlan Ritchie, with the latter providing the Tiger onballers a strong marking target all afternoon.
While Macorna may have had the better of the play on the inside, Wandella were able to do damage on the outside, with their ability to break the lines almost earning them the four points.
Russell Rich was dominant out of the middle, along with bigger bodies Declan Hogg, Jarred Schlitz and Tim Robinson, while Ryan Lancaster and Mitch Collins were also among the better players.
The upset of the weekend belonged to Hay, who handed Ultima their first loss of the year by 21 points, with Declan Watson enjoying a day out with eight goals for the home side.
The win was set up by a second-quarter onslaught, with the Lions booting seven goals to two to turn a 15-point quarter-time deficit into an 18-point lead at the main break.
From there, the Lions were able to maintain their advantage in the second half, running out 12.11 (83) to 8.14 (62) winners.
The gap between Ultima (first) and Moulamein (second) on top of the ladder was reduced to just eight points, with the Swans claiming a comfortable 90-point win over Murrabit.
The Swans were quick out of the blocks against the Blues, kicking 5.6 in the opening quarter and holding a 35-point lead at the first break.
From there, the home side were never headed, extending their lead in the second term before running out comfortable 19.17 (131) to 6.5 (41) winners.
Josh Flight returned to the Swans line-up in form, kicking seven goals, with James Moroney, Michael Morson and Eddy Schifferle also among the better players.
