LANCASTER staged a late revival to overrun Nagambie and retain its season’s unbeaten record in round seven of the Kyabram District Football League on Saturday.
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Before a huge crowd the Wombats played catch-up footy for the first two-and-a-half quarters although there was never more than a goal or two separating the sides.
But they finished full of running to run out winners by 33 points and get a win over the Lakers for the first time in eight years.
The momentum swung Lancaster’s way late in the third term when Jack Donnell slotted successive goals to ignite the home side.
Nagambie had wasted several successive shots on goal early in the third term which could have given them a commanding lead. But once the Wombats got a sniff of victory they never let it slip and dominated the last quarter with a burst of seven goals.
Key forward Billy Ryan kept Lancaster in the game in the first half with five goals - three in the first term and two in the second quarter - as result of some strong leads and grabs.
Nagambie got a lot of drive from ruckman Mark Nolan and star recruit Jamason Daniels while Mark Wilson was active in attack.
Tom Maddern kept Lancaster’s danger man and fly-in player Nic Yarram to just one goal while Ben Hutton was dangerous in attack.
Trent Gladwin also won plenty of the ball when the Lakers were up and running.
Former Tatura coach and Shepparton Swans premiership player Daniels kicked three goals and showed he is a prize pick-up for the Lakers.
Lancaster’s defenders turned in solid games again with Nic Ross and Nathan Torney good all day and Phil Carroll dominant after half-time.
Nippy small man James Ross got better as the game went on and electrified the Wombats with two last quarter goals.
Midfielders and onballers in Zac Cerrnone, Tom Davies and Sam Spedding were prime movers for the Wombats. Cerrone was credited with 35 possessions.
Ruckman Nic Ryan and Coby O’Neill battled hard all day on the ball while Zaid Besim was also able to apply scoreboard pressure with two goals.
Co-coach Corey Carver thought the most pleasing aspect of Lancaster’s win was the tackling.
‘‘We really kept the pressure on them all day with our tackling,’’ Carver said.
Lancaster’s win sets up a top-of-the-table clash with the league’s only other unbeaten side Avenel at Avenel this Saturday.
Charlie McLay will return for the clash to replace hard man Steve Thomson who lasted only a few minutes with a leg injury in Saturday’s clash.
●Girgarre didn’t get it all their own way against Rushworth but pulled away after half-time to win by 69 points.
The Tigers had their noses in front at quarter-time and were only 14 points in arrears at the main change.
But Girgarre coach Brendan Barnes, Jack Oogjes, Jordan Clarke and Gerrard Hanratty stepped up as Girgarre kicked nine second half goals to the visitors’ one to run away with the win.
Barnes and Damien Wynd booted three goals each for Girgarre while Ryan Butler and Jordan Clarke were also able to provide scoreboard pressure with three goals each.
Kieran Malone, Layne Baker, Brody Blackley and Corey Reardon battled hard and kept Rushworth in the game early with support from Jackson Doyle and Ed Bourke, but a lack of goalscoring options let the Tigers down.
●Merrigum, as expected, crushed Longwood to the tune of 221 points in a percentage boosting win at home.
Josh Smith with 10 goals, Daniel Dryden (five), Jacob Martin (four) and Mitch Younger (three) reaped the rewards of the efforts of Rhys Shannon, Tom Cooper, Ethan McLaren and Jacob Chessels who kept up a steady supply of chances.
Tom Rennie, Gianni Serra and Ryan Cumberland tried hard for Longwood but with little support.
Merrigum has the bye this week and then hosts Stanhope in a blockbuster.
●Stanhope was far too strong for Ardmona, claiming a 134-point win in the clash at Ardmona.
Onballers and midfielders in Nathan O’Reilly, Jye Patten, Jack Young and Mitchell O’Dwyer were able to ensure the Lions forwards - led by Jye Adamson, Luke Mann, Dan Flynn, Matt Gill and Chris Sanders - were able to keep the goal umpires busy.
Caine Atkinson, former Carlton player Anthony Franchina, club stalwart Tim Keegan and Damien Mu tried hard for the Bush Cats.
●Murchison-Toolamba broke away from Undera in the third term on their way to a 91-point victory.
Undera hung in for a half with Rhys McKenzie, Andrew Ralph, Nathan Frizzell and Jack Harjo showing the way.
But when the combine put the foot down in the third term with a nine-goal burst it was all over.
The home side had key playmakers in Brayden Cecchin, Brad Cunningham, Josh Wild, Zac Connell and Jordan McGregor.
Mick Watson and James Ivill applied scoreboard pressure with three goals each.
Undera hosts Shepparton East this Saturday while Murchison-Toolamba has the bye.
●In the remaining games the Avenel Swans and Violet Town were the winners.The Towners had to fight hard to shake off Dookie United to win by 23 points.
Lachy Baldwin, Sean Horsburgh and Fintan and Nic Brazil were key playmakers in the win while Josh Mellington booted six goals.
For Dookie United, Ryan McKenna, Sam Muggleton, Brendan McMullen and Jacob Crow got plenty of the Sherrin.
●Avenel kept Tallygaroopna scoreless in the first half on the way to a 154-point win.
Star recruit Jake Anderson booted six goals with Jack Myers, Max Lawrence, Braydon Avola and Max McLean also turning in top games.
Austin Morgan, Joel Kimberley and Zac Brett were best of the Tally triers.
●Only three games will be played this week with the Avenel-Lancaster showdown and the Stanhope-Girgarre clash both creating a lot of interest.