Rochester roars once more in last-gasp Goulburn Valley League victory

Undeterred by thoughts this was a mere aberration, Rochester repeated the dose last weekend with a commanding victory over a free-scoring Mooroopna outfit.

Perhaps now, at last, after storming home in the final term to overcome perennial finals fancy Euroa, this hat-trick of Goulburn Valley League scalps could make Rochester an undeniable threat.

Unsurprisingly, it was usual standout Mitch Cricelli who provided the late heroics with what would go down as the sealer for his third goal of the day.

Although the Tigers nabbed two of the game’s first three goals, Euroa went about its normal business late in the first term by rattling off three straight to sit pretty at quarter-time.

Rochester had things on its own terms everywhere but the scoreboard for most of the second term before the switch finally flicked, piling on four majors heading into the sheds capped off by a Cricelli double.

The thing about Euroa is that blowing out such a side is rare indeed — and for good reason — so it again became the Tigers’ turn to weather the storm in the third term.

Dashing winger Silver Yousif again got some time in the forward rotation and made his time inside 50 count with ruthless efficiency, notching three consecutive goals to put the Magpies up once more with a quarter to play.

Again having to play catch-up, Sean Williams stood up as a model of consistency with a goal in each quarter, none more important than his game-high fourth to level the scores with just minutes remaining.

Cricelli brought the house down with the killer blow to notch a highly memorable third win on the bounce, cementing the Tigers in third place with a 5-2 record following a memorable 10.10 (70) to 8.16 (64) triumph.

Where to next for a Rochester outfit which has firmed as credentialled giant-slayers across the past three weekends?

The Tigers’ next assignment is a trip south to play a new-look Seymour, where the visitors will likely go in as favourites for the first time in nearly a month.

The Magpies, meanwhile, have fallen out of finals places in crashing to a 4-3 record, trailing sixth-placed Kyabram on percentage.