Moama falls to third straight defeat

The clash was expected to be even and lived up to that billing in a back and forth first quarter, Moama kicking the game’s first goal, Nathalia booting the next four, before the Magpies ended the term on their own three-goal run.

An early major in the second quarter made it four in a row for Moama, before the game swung again with the Purples booting the next three, though the Magpies ended the quarter strongly with a goal, only trailing by eight at the main break, 6.2 (38) to 7.4 (46).

It would be Nathalia that came out the stronger after half-time and its third quarter performance would ultimately be pivotal, with four majors — one for Moama sandwiched in between — opening up a 25-point buffer heading into the fourth term.

Given the nature of the match to this point, it would not have been surprising to see momentum suddenly shift, and the Magpies followed the script by opening the final term with four straight majors, bringing themselves to within a point midway through the quarter.

But Nathalia would stem the bleeding before adding a goal to its tally late on, one that secured victory in a pulsating contest, Moama going down 11.4 (70) to 12.7 (79).

A third straight defeat for the Magpies means they are ninth on the ladder after four matches, with only the winless duo of Finley and Rumbalara behind them.

Moama is back at home next against reigning premier Cobram, a less than ideal opponent for the Magpies as they aim to break out of their current form slump.