The Goulburn Valley League A-grade match of the round lived up to and beat all expectations on Sunday as a bumper crowd watched Shepparton United deny Mooroopna in a heart-stopper.
Under the hot April sun, reigning minor premier United held off its challenger for the throne in a tense 52-50 classic.
With the score locked in at 38 goals apiece at the final break, United was able to break away in a frantic fourth quarter.
Young attacking option Georgia Walpole led from the front in a breakout performance, while her experienced teammate Jessie Barnes chipped in with valuable support.
Mooroopna’s teenage goalers battled hard in the last term to peg back the margin but failed at the last hurdle.
United playing coach Kara Blizzard spoke about her side’s ability to stay calm and collected in the dying stages of the round three thriller.
“There was a fair bit of relief ... Mooroopna was incredible, so hats off to them,” she said.
“The key message was just to keep playing as a team and controlling the things that we can control in this game and that is not panicking and working it down to the attack. We’ve got all day to get the ball in that ring and just composure and the girls did that, which was amazing.
“The young girls just really stood up. There wasn’t a faze in the world to them. It wasn’t as big of a game to them as everyone else probably made it out to be, so I was really proud of their composure.”
Blizzard went on to praise the performance of her side’s talented goal attack.
“Everyone did their role today, which was what I asked of the group, but in saying that we did have some standout performers,” Blizzard said.
“I thought Georgia Walpole stood out in goal attack. She played great over the four quarters. She was really strong and really stamped her mark in that position.”