Saints up to seventh
NYORA have won another entertaining contest at home, accounting for a plucky Nilma-Darnum 15-18 (108) to 13-6 (84) to move to seventh on the Ellinbank District football ladder.
The Saints looked in control early, dominating the territory battle to create opportunities. They would soon have three goals on the board, including a fine shot on the run from Josh Ryan.
Match times at Nyora had been pushed forward to account for a speedway event, which was later cancelled, as the Bombers were slow to get going.
When the visitors began to control the ball they were able to make the most of their limited opportunities, responding to head into the first change trailing by just 10-points.
A dour battled ensued in the second term as the wind changed direction, the Saints adding the first but again the Bombers challenged. A return of 5-2 to 4-11 seeing them just three-point adrift at the long break.
Nyora emerged with encouragement from coach Dylan Heylen to lift. It sparked a run of three consecutive goals as the Saints created a buffer.
Once again, the momentum would change, the Bombers booting the next four majors to level up proceedings.
The Saints would steady with the next two goals to take that advantage into the final change, the Bombers having showed enough to inspire some confidence for the final term.
John Hayes, Nick Carrigy, Sebastian Crowle, Jeremy Jarred, Cody Harrison and Malcolm Hunter were giving the Bombers every chance of pinching the result.
Following a third term that realised nine goals, the open scoring would continue with 10 in the final term.
Nyora would again work at re-establishing a buffer and while the Bombers challenged at times, the Saints would ultimately have the answer.
The Bombers, who would add four goals to six in the final term, were let down by giving up a couple of easy shots at goal. In one instance umpire Al Bliss was having nothing of an expletive audible to the crowd to bring Travis Stewart from a difficult shot in the pocket to the goal line.
Nilma-Darnum's hard luck was only exacerbated as a Jono Hewit shot looked to drift right, only for it to float back through the goals after the defenders had already given up on it.
Stewart and Ryan finished with three goals apiece as the Saints shared the load to secure the result, Rhys Grange-Lylak, Connor Thompson, Jesse Heylen and Jordan Anderson also solid contributors.