Tonny too strong, Magpies take tough road to victory

A dominant 48-15 second half from Tongala saw it cruise to a 42-goal win over Echuca United at Echuca South Recreation Reserve.

The Blues held a 33-24 lead at half-time, the Eagles staying in the contest before being on the receiving end of an avalanche across the final two periods.

Tongala outscored Echuca United 26-8 in the third quarter, which included a run of seven straight goals between the 35th and 37th minute, and netting six of the last seven in the period.

Abby Pettifer’s team was in a strong position entering the fourth, leading 59-32, but didn’t rest on its laurels, particularly on the defensive end.

Tongala held the Eagles to just seven goals in the final period while adding another 22 to its tally, running out as an 81-39 winner.

Earlier, Leesa Hooppell’s team had competed well against a more fancied opponent.

The visitors raced out to a 7-1 lead after four minutes but were quickly reeled back in, Echuca United closing the opening period by scoring six of the last nine goals to only trail 16-13 at the first interval.

At the 22-minute mark, the Eagles only trailed 23-21, with Tongala asserting its dominance from that point onwards, closing the first half by scoring 10 of the last 13 goals.

Eliza Pearce (28) and Tiah Hooppell (11) led the Echuca United scoring, while Tongala had three contributors in Milly Brock (32), Chicquita Vick (28), and Natasha Dodos (21).

The Blues (10-4) are on a three-game winning streak and currently sit third on the ladder, above fourth-placed Moama on percentage, though the Magpies have a game in hand.

Tongala hosts Moama in round 16, with the winner of the local clash putting itself in pole position to finish third on the ladder behind Nathalia and Mulwala.

Meanwhile, two losses on the bounce for eighth-placed Echuca United means its chances of featuring in the post-season have effectively ended.

The Eagles face seventh-placed Deniliquin Rams next, a side that they will be underdogs against but will no doubt want to upset to return to the winners’ list.

Congupna v Moama

Moama survived a scare against winless Congupna, overturning a one-goal half-time deficit to prevail by 10 at Congupna Recreation Reserve.

The Road is bottom of the ladder but took the match to the finals contending Magpies in the first half.

The two sides were deadlocked at 9-9 at the first interval, and though Moama looked set to pull away midway through the second period, leading 18-11, they were immediately thwarted.

Congupna closed the half with eight consecutive goals, leading 19-18 at the main break and in a position to cause a major shock.

But the visitors, who entered the match off the back of a heavy loss to Mulwala, dug deep to rediscover a better version of themselves in the third quarter.

Carri Carter’s side opened the period with nine straight goals, which eventually led to a 31-22 lead for Moama entering the final quarter.

The Magpies opened up a double-digit lead for the first time in the match after 53 minutes, but The Road again came roaring back, cutting the deficit back to six goals late on.

But it was too little, too late, with Moama’s strong defensive effort in the second half, where it kept Congupna to only 11 goals, key in recording the 40-30 win.

Indiana Phillips led the way at the attacking end with 23 goals, being assisted by 17 from Jinaya Nurse.

A return to the winners’ list was key for the Magpies to reinstate their confidence ahead of the crunch clash against Tongala next.

In action elsewhere, Nathalia defeated Mulwala 70-52 to move four points clear atop the ladder.

That result also kept Moama and Tongala in with a realistic chance of finishing second, with both only eight points off Mulwala with five rounds to play.