KOONDROOK-Barham have outplayed Lake Boga in a second-half blitz that saw the Raiders come home with a 31-point win.
The 11.11 (77) to 16.12 (108) result brings Koondrook-Barham back into the top five and a game clear to the rest of the competition.
The Magpies were deadly accurate at the start of the contest, kicking seven straight majors for a score of 42, using the wing and their outside run to their advantage.
Koondrook-Barham were within range as well, but just couldn’t capitalise in front of goal, with a 21 point difference at the end of the first quarter.
They did manage to regain their mojo in the second term, adding an extra four goals to their tally, along with having the ball in their forward 50 often.
They would reduce the margin to 14 points at half-time, with the score being 9.5 (59) to 7.3 (45) in Lake Boga’s favour.
Things turned around in the second half however, as it was all Koondrook-Barham after the main break with the visitors bagging a staggering six goals from the third quarter alone.
Ryleigh Wilkinson was big in front of goal, along with Lee Dale and Benji Neal, who were both incredible in the midfield, giving the Raiders plenty of chances in their forward line.
The Magpies tried to fight back in the fourth quarter, but it simply wasn’t enough, Koondrook-Barham was well and truly home with the four points, much to the delight of the away fans who came in numbers on the day.
After the celebrations were over, Koondrook-Barham head coach Marcus Demaria gave some praise to his boys who played well in the second half.
“It was a good game today, I sort of questioned some of the boys at half-time, I thought we weren’t getting enough contribution from everyone,” Demaria said.
“When we started to challenge the Magpies in the second half, that’s when we started to bounce back and win, so I’m happy with the second-half performance.”
There was a lot of interest for Koondrook-Barham today, after bringing in Nate Pretty, a Raider’s under 15s player who was recently selected for the under 15s New South Wales state side.
Demaria was full of praise for the young gun after the match today.
“He was really composed under pressure today, I thought he played really well, particularly for a player coming from the under 15s,” Demaria said.
“The way he came up and played to that level was exceptional; he has a massive future ahead.”
Demaria applauded the way his new recruits have been playing this season, particularly Lee Dale who had a big impact.
“Very good today from both Dale and Benji Neal in the engine room, they both played really hard and were fantastic for us,” Demaria said.
“Not only that but Wilkinson was also incredible, he usually plays half-forward but he featured on the wing today and he still managed to bag three goals.
“Lachlan Bates was also a lot better today as well, so very pleased with how things are shaping up right now.”
Koondrook-Barham will next face a strong suited Tooleybuc-Manangatang side who had a massive win against Swan Hill, with Demaria sharing his thoughts on how the Raiders will take on the Saints.
“There won’t be any changes into the system, I don’t want to create too much confusion within the squad,” Demaria said.
“I personally believe it’s about improving our structure each week that we will work on.
“Of course Tooleybuc-Manangatang have some key players in their line-up that we’ll put time into figuring out their style.
“But I think if we can restrict their influence then we will need everyone to stand up and make sure that it becomes a reality.”
SCORES
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final Score |
| Lake Boga | 7.0 | 9.5 | 9.9 | 11.11 | 77 |
| Koondrook-Barham | 3.3 | 7.3 | 13.9 | 16.12 | 108 |
VOTES
3 – Lee Dale (Koondrook-Barham)
2 – Benji Neal (Koondrook-Barham)
1 – Ryleigh Wilkinson (Koondrook-Barham)
