IN a dogged battle of defences, South Mildura rallied from a seven-goal halftime deficit to eke out a 24-22 victory over Imperials at the Brian Weightman courts and solidify their place in the SFNL A Grade top four.
The Bulldogs bounced back from a 16-9 margin at the main break to level the scores at 18 apiece going into the final quarter and then held on grimly, as Imps failed to convert late shots, to claim a much-needed four points to keep them in the top three with a 6-2-1 record.
“Both teams defended the shooting well,” a relieved South Mildura coach Sally Moore said after the game. “They had the circle covered and there was just no conversion.
“We made some positional changes at halftime to see if that would help with link-ups down the court because we were creating so many opportunities defensively and they paid off.
“I’m just really proud of how the team played … you’ve just got to keep grinding and grinding and that is what they did today.
“Now that we’ve played everyone we realise there is no easy competition. It’s just a matter of sometimes, in those key moments and areas, to get ahead and take advantage of those opportunities.”
The Bulldogs’ next opponent will require all of that and a bit more as they face undefeated reigning premiers, Wentworth. Imperials, 2-6-1, travel to Robinvale Euston in a bid to keep their slim finals hopes alive.
Goal defence Morna Naquto and goalkeeper Sharne Lane were named the victor’s best, while wing defence Millie Kuhne and goal defence Meg McManus were chosen as Imps’ outstanding players.
– Tym Glaser
