For Benalla, round 17 of the Goulburn Valley League is one they’d soon like to forget. The task seemed a tall one from the start, as the 12th-placed Saints took on the second placed Euroa Magpies.
After losing their last two games and falling to second on the standings, Euroa was there for the taking, but instead found the form they needed before a finals campaign.
The game started out with a red-hot goal-for-goal exchange. The determination from the home side to find their first win of the season was obvious as Bridget Hill and Chloe Elliot shared the scoring load early.
“Early on, in the first half, we were competitive, and then not so much,” head coach Jo Toms said. “Very similar to our season so far, competitive initially, but blown away towards the end.”
Unfortunately for the Saints, the Pies swooped in the second quarter and essentially sealed the victory at half-time. Euroa goaled 11 of the first 12 in the second term to set up their path to victory. The Magpies took a fairly comfortable 22-38 lead into the main break.
“The weather was wet, the courts were slippery, I think it took Euroa a little bit to find their feet. The courts dried out, we just made some basic unforced errors and they capitalised on it,” Toms said.
Out of the half-time break, Euroa were able to re-establish their momentum. The third quarter was their best for the day, as Benalla moved the magnets, doing all they could to quell the flow. Kate Symes and Jacquie Foster fought hard for the Benalla defence, but the Euroa machine is a tough one to stop.
The Magpies were able to jet ahead in the fourth again, running out eventual winners with a final scoreline of 38-78. It was a game Euroa needed, and one that Benalla were hoping to get a little bit more out of.
“We did start strong and maintained a strong first quarter which is always good, and a little bit more talk on court is positive. We’ve got shooters that are goalers and defenders that are shooters, so we’re able to swap one to the other, (and) just using that flexibility,” Toms said.
Benalla get one more chance to find their elusive first win of the season next week, as they hit the road en route to Tatura and the fourth-placed Bulldogs.