Mowers suffer soul-crusher

The game featured periods of positivity for both sides and it was Moama that narrowly won the first period on minor scores after both sides kicked three goals.

Numurkah edged in front in a back-and-forth second period and the Blues went into the half-time break up five.

Khy Stovell got the Magpies within one with the first major after the break, but Numurkah kicked three unanswered to hold the ascendancy by 22 points at the three-quarter time.

A desperate Moama surged in the last, kicking four consecutive majors to regain the lead, but the Blues found a late goal to sneak ahead by a point and deal a significant blow to the Magpies’ title hopes.

Jye Warren put in a co-coach’s performance in front of the sticks, leading his side with four majors, including two in the fourth quarter surge, while Stovell was next best with three.

Numurkah shared the scoring around, with five players kicking two each.

The defeat and Mulwala’s win over Tongala saw the Lions push past Moama on percentage.

While both sides have an almost identical tally in the points against column, Mulwala has scored 263 more than Moama over the course of the season.

The Murray league finals structure makes this a huge blow for the Magpies.

While the league’s top two, now Congupna and Mulwala, play off for a grand final place, Moama will need to battle its way through two elimination finals to join the loser of that game in a preliminary final.

The Magpies have been eliminated in the preliminary final in the past three seasons.

Moama begins its finals road at Deniliquin on Saturday, where it ironically takes on the side that just beat it, Numurkah.

Should it turn the result around and progress, the winner of Cobram and Nathalia awaits in a semi-final.