Heading into the weekend, Tongala sat in second spot on the Murray Netball League A-grade ladder, two games clear of third with the opportunity to seal a double chance come finals.
But Blues coach Grace Hammond remained wary of the Eagles, and it proved to be for good reason.
With home court advantage, United was able to carve out a 39-34 win, which strengthens its position as a genuine dark horse come September.
“It’s a huge win for us,” Echuca United co-coach Kate Donehue said following the victory.
“It was pretty scrappy netball for most of the day, and really came down to who was more disciplined in the last quarter.”
The Eagles were able to get the job done thanks to goal keeper Elle Molluso’s leadership, while wing defence Tessa Bruni was able to apply significant pressure.
“Elle Molluso was level-headed all day and showed great leadership on the court,” Donehue said.
“Tessa Bruni forced lots of errors in the last quarter which resulted in four goals for us.
“We will take lots of confidence going into finals after this match.”
The 20-goal loss to Tongala in round one must seem seasons ago now for United who, with Donehue and Asher Arnel at the helm, has morphed into a team that believes it can beat anyone.
The win is a big boost for the Eagles in terms of ladder position, drawing three games clear of Congupna (8-7) in seventh with just three games to play, meaning a win next week will clinch a finals spot.
For Tongala, it is just the second loss of the season, the first having come against the undefeated Deniliquin, although it shouldn’t prove much of an issue in the way of the side’s finals hopes.
Next weekend could shake up the positions inside the top six, with Tongala facing Mulwala, while Echuca United takes on Rumbalara, as all four sides remain a chance of clinching the second double-chance spot.