It was a battle for the ages.
Two Goulburn Valley League A-grade netball premiership hopefuls met in Mooroopna on Saturday afternoon, with the home side edging out Seymour for an important win.
Missing the talented Dayna Williams, Asha Gray and Bree Hanslow, the Cats found a way to get it done, running out 36 to 32 winners.
Supporters were treated to nail-biting action across the four quarters, with Seymour up by one at the end of the first term, before Mooroopna took a two-goal lead into the main break.
Seymour reduced the margin to a goal at three-quarter time, before hitting the front in the last term. However the home side managed to steady the ship and produce a thrilling win.
Mooroopna coach Di Hanslow said it was a much-needed result.
“It was a really outstanding effort by the girls,” Hanslow said.
“They just really supported each other and stuck to their tasks that we gave them at the start and they’ve been rewarded with the result.”
Hanslow explained that with the scores so tight throughout the contest her side just played the game out.
She said it was real collective effort to get over the line on the day, with players backing up from B-grade to play in the top division.
“You just keep going until the very end and that’s what they did,” Hanslow said.
“They didn’t allow the score to dictate how they felt out there, they just kept playing and giving it their all and the result took care of itself.
“I thought our defence did really well in Ella Ogier and Ashley Lancaster, I thought Shelby Britten did a fantastic job on Casey Adamson, even though I think Casey played brilliantly too and then I thought Elle Brooks was fantastic for us in goals as well.”
For Seymour, the loss is the side’s second of the season, with the Lions also missing a star in Nakita Singe.
Coach Ellie O’Sullivan said while it was a disappointing result, they now know what they need to improve on.
“We knew coming in that it was going to be tough and we’ve got a tough run into finals,” O’Sullivan said.
“In saying that, these are the games we want to be a part of, we want to be challenged because Mooroopna came out and put on a good performance and I think mentally we slipped in and out of that game.”
O’Sullivan highlighted Sarah Szczykulski and Jordyn Beattie’s defensive performances on court as standouts for the visitors, with Beattie stepping up from Seymour’s 17-and-under division to match it with a tough A-grade opponent.
“Those two were probably our best-on-court but Courtney Aldous was down that end too so I think as a unit that was really good,” she said.
The result brings Seymour back closer to the chasing pack on the table, with the Lions now level with Shepparton United on 52 points, while Mooroopna sits in third on 48.