Border Raiders FC put in one of its better outings of the season, taking it to league-leader Spring Gully at Jack Eddy Oval on Sunday.
Spring Gully had taken the side’s previous meetings 7-1 and 3-0 over the course of the season, and the game looked like it might repeat that trajectory when young gun Will Harding put the champion ahead within three minutes.
However, the Border Raiders showed resilience through the rest of the half and kept the margin at one heading into the break.
Spring Gully’s Flynn Hartigan doubled the advantage six minutes after the resumption, putting the hosts under pressure, but Echuca-Moama responded in the 63rd minute through Eoin Kelly to make it 2-1.
The Border Raiders fought to level the ledger over the final half hour but couldn’t find the equaliser.
Echuca-Moama finishes the season in fifth place with 12 points and a 4-11 record.
With the league portion of the season complete and champions crowned, teams are now preparing for the Supercup finals series.
While last year six men’s League 2 teams qualified for the finals, this year, with the competition down to six sides, only the top four will move on, excluding the Border Raiders.
In women’s League 1, the eight-team competition has allowed six sides to progress, the women’s Border Raiders making it through in sixth with a 3-1-10 record.
The side will battle third-ranked Strathfieldsaye Colts in an elimination final at Vibert Reserve in Shepparton on Sunday, kicking off at 12.30pm.
The Colts have won the two meetings between the teams this year, once by a single goal and once by a wide margin.
Juniors
The Border Raiders’ under-14 girls side has qualified for finals after finishing third and is set to battle Golden City Merinos at Jack Eddy Oval from 11.40am on Saturday.
Also through is the under-14A squad, which will take on Kyneton District at Barkly Square in Kyneton on Saturday.
The under-12A team is also through, hosting Spring Gully Renegades at Jack Eddy Oval from 10am.
In under-12C, Border Raiders Vikings finished on top and await the results from this weekend before joining the finals on September 13.
Finally, in under-12D, the Border Raiders Pirates will face Strathfieldsaye White in Strathfieldsaye from 10.10am on Saturday.
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