Moama cruised by Finley at the weekend and now looks upwards towards the top four.
The weekend’s Murray Netball League results perfectly divided the table into the haves and have-nots.
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As the dust settled on round 17 and with leader Nathalia on the bye, the remainder of the top six picked up a victory over a team in the bottom five.
For Tongala and Moama that meant running up big scores over lower and midtable sides, while Echuca United was unfortunate to fall short after a spirited effort.
Moama v Finley
What began as a relatively even contest quickly reverted to previous form as Moama rolled through the Cats at home.
Finley held its own in the first term and actually led late on, the Mowers sneaking it by a goal, 9-8.
The Cats again edged ahead in the second, but Moama would exert its will, scoring eight straight to break the game open, also leading by eight at the main break.
Moama would really turn it on after the break and Finley had no response to the finals-bound Mowers, and the scoreline began to balloon quickly.
By the final change, Moama was up 43-15 and the home side would romp home to a huge 57-19 victory.
The Mowers remain in fifth and with sixth a far cry back, need only look upward over the remaining weeks.
Moama battles struggler Cobram at Cobram this weekend.
Deniliquin v Tongala
Tongala could go second this weekend in a blockbuster clash with Mulwala.
Although the sides are great rivals of seasons past, this year Tongala was expected to get the job done against Deniliquin, and it did so with aplomb away from home, prevailing 74-45.
The Blues had the Rams’ measure throughout the contest, kicking away early to open up a five-goal cushion that it had grown to seven by the first break.
The second quarter started in the balance, but a nine-goal run midway through the term put Tonny definitively in control and the Blues led by 15 at half-time.
The second half would bring more of the same and Tongala continued to function well with the ball and disrupt the Rams’ attack, leading to a comfortable victory at the final whistle.
Tongala, sitting in third, faces its biggest test of the run home this weekend, battling Mulwala at home at Tongala.
The Lions sit one win ahead and a Blues win by a decent margin could get them into the top two.
Tonny does face the disadvantage of having a bye remaining on its schedule.
Echuca United v Numurkah
Echuca United took it to Numurkah in the first half, but was run down late.
A youthful Eagles side has unfortunately often fallen narrowly short this season and that was how things played out again at the weekend, United suffering a seven-goal loss to Numurkah.
At Echuca South Recreation Reserve, the hosts actually had the better of the more favoured Blues throughout the first half, working well to build a modest lead.
The early minutes were back and forth, but neither side could establish a permanent advantage until late in the term, when a five-goal Eagles run put them into the lead.
United carried a three-goal break into quarter-time and defended it well in the second term, making the most of forward opportunities to extend the lead to five at the half.
However, the locals were unable to maintain their levels after the break and a reinvigorated Numurkah eventually took the lead, pushing clear in the dying minutes to score the victory 58-51.
Now 3-11, the Eagles will be hopeful of picking up a victory on Saturday against one of the sides below them, as they go on the road to Finley.
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