South keeps finals hopes alive

SOUTH Mildura kept their finals hopes alive with a comfortable 44-35 win over Ouyen United on SMSC’s Ladies’ Day at the Mildura Sporting Precinct.

The Bulldogs raced to an early 7-1 lead and never relented that lead despite some great Kangas’ defence. They were the more consistent team over the 60 minutes, not losing a single quarter.

Ouyen occasionally closed to within three goals, but South Mildura were able to get the goal and turnover required to put the space back in the game. Ouyen tried many different combinations with different levels of success.

In contrast, South Mildura made very few and had great connection between their defenders and attackers.

It was another frustrating loss for the Kangas.

“We were a bit flat today,” shared Ouyen United coach Kyra Nathan.

“We had Catherine Brown out today, which forced us to change a few combinations. Our defenders in Tsharni Burns and Kate Lockett were great for us.

“We got enough ball back, like we do every week, but struggled to score. It was hard to shoot in the wind.

“South Mildura’s goal circle defence was really good. They were able to get a lot of the rebounds with their positioning. They chased down plenty of loose balls. It wasn’t our day.”

Next week is crucial for the Bulldogs. If they can beat Irymple, it will create a fascinating race for fifth.

The round 17 fixture between South Mildura and Red Cliffs would become close to an early elimination final.

Both South Mildura and Red Cliffs face the vaunted Wentworth team in the last three rounds.

Red Cliffs probably have the upper hand with their superior percentage, but the Bulldogs will no doubt put the challenge forward.

Ouyen will have to beat Imperials next week if they are any chance to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.