A FIVE-goal final quarter helped Balranald secure a 43-point win over the Cohuna Kangas at a wind-swept Greenham Park on Saturday.
The 16.10 (106) to 9.9 (63) victory all but secured a top five finish for the Roos, their first since 2010, while leaving last year’s grand finalists in fifth spot and perilously close to missing finals.
While Balranald would be pleased to walk away with their ninth win of the season, the big story was an apparent shoulder injury to coach Jydon Neagle in the second quarter.
Clearly hampered at times, Neagle not only managed to play out the match, but continued to play at his usually high standard in another best-on-ground performance.
The home side didn’t have it all their own way, however, with the Kangas trailing by 17 points and still very much in the contest at the final break, before Balranald broke off the shackles with some scintillating football.
Prior to that, both sides struggled to adjust to the windy conditions, with Cohuna failing to take full advantage of the strong breeze in the opening term, kicking just three goals despite controlling much of the play.
Balranald had no such issues in the second quarter, slamming home five goals to one as Neagle, Colin Andrews, Ryan Middlebrook and Ian Fuller started to exert their influence for the home side.
With the Roos holding a 17-point going into the third quarter, the Kangas then came out hard but, despite their best efforts, were unable to make inroads on the scoreboard.
Jake Hammond started forward alongside Rhys Free for Cohuna, in a clear attempt to exploit Balranald’s lack of tall defenders, with the move showing signs of paying off with Hammond booting two first-quarter goals.
The loss of Free to a head knock in the second quarter robbed the visitors of the opportunity to further explore their partnership – although it failed to dampen Hammond’s influence, who played an almost lone hand as the key marking target around the ground.
While Cohuna may have held a height advantage up forward, the Balranald back six were largely undeterred, with Jack Salau and Toby Lay holding their own.
Hammond’s brother Nathan was also constantly in the action, with the full-back having the unenviable task of quelling Ben Fuller and taking the points in the first half.
Fuller is a hard man to keep quiet for four quarters, however, and finished with five goals, three coming in the last term as the floodgates opened.
Tom Metherell was another Cohuna defender who stood up, particularly in the second half, while onballers Joel Helman, Sam McGlone and Jack Donat also worked tirelessly.
They were no match for Balranald’s deep and classy midfield, however, with the home side’s ability to switch the play to the open side of the field and break the game open with their disposal efficiency impressive to watch given the conditions.
Middlebrook continued his good form since moving into the midfield and was a constant thorn in the Kangas’ side, as was Drew Lloyd, Andrews and Kobe Lloyd.
With Jydon Neagle clearly hampered by injury, this week’s bye could hardly have come at a better time for Balranald, while Cohuna will regroup before they host Koondrook-Barham this Saturday, in a match they must win to maintain their spot in the top five.
FINAL SIREN
| BALRANALD | 2.1 | 7.4 | 11.6 | 16.10 | 106 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COHUNA | 3.4 | 4.5 | 8.7 | 9.9 | 63 |
VOTES
3 – Jydon Neagle (Balranald)
2 – Ryan Middlebrook (Balranald)
1 – Jake Hammond (Cohuna)
