Gulls chalk up fourth season win

Nar Nar Goon’s Chris Adams attempts to break the tackle of Poowong’s Harley Robjant. Adams kicked two goals in Nar Nar Goon’s big win, which moved the home side four points clear inside the top six. Photograph: TOM ELTON

Keith Anderson

The weekend’s football results have given a shake-up to all three district leagues. Some of them could be telling in a couple of months’ time when finalists are settled. In Gippsland League the big winner was Warragul. Last year’s wooden spooner now has a clear grip on fourth place after another great win on Saturday over Sale, the Gulls’ fourth for the year. Maffra took second place on the ladder with a hard-fought win against Traralgon and undefeated Leongatha continued its dominance of the first half of the season with another big victory, this time at Moe’s expense. The top three - Leongatha, Maffra and Traralgon - are well placed to stay there but it’s a battle royal for the other places in the “five”. Moe and Bairnsdale, fifth and sixth, are both on 12 points but only oneand-a-half games clear of the bottom pair Morwell and Drouin. Two Ellinbank and district league clashes that pitted the top four teams against each other highlighted the round. Koo wee rup went took top spot on the ladder when it won a high-pressure contest with Bunyip that was close all day. The Demons took the points in a seesawing game 10-7 to 8-8. On Saturday night it was even closer where only the diehards, players and those with official duties would have ventured out in the icy conditions at Cora Lynn the home side snuck in by two points after Warragul Industrials held small leads at half and threequarter time breaks. It was a battle and not a game for the purists, the cards falling Cora Lynn’s way 6-12 to 6-10 in a low scoring affair. Nar Nar Goon retained fifth place with a big win against Poowong but there’s a log jam following for the last position in the “six”, something that probably won’t be sorted out until the final home-and-away round. Nilma-Darnum and Garfield, both winners on Saturday, joined Neerim Neerim South that had the bye, on 16 points with Buln Buln and Nyora only one game back. Lang Lang sang its club song for the first time for the season. It held Catani to only one goal in the second half for a come from behind 12-14 to 9-7 win. Garfield fielded probably its strongest line-up for the year and played accordingly to dispose of Ellinbank 23-21 to 4-6, Buln Buln 14-12 was too strong for Longwarry 5-5 and NilmaDarnum had too many guns for Nyora taking the points 13-10 to 6-5. In Mid Gippsland League there are only eight premiership points separating top of the ladder Newborough and sixth placed Yarragon. Yarragon slipped from the “five” with its defeat by Yallourn Yallourn North. A couple of the top teams only just managed to get through their games. Newborough eventually won by 20 points against a fast finishing Thorpdale that might have won with a bit more steadiness in front of goal in the final term. Defending premier Yinnar had a close call against Boolarra that was within less than a goal late in the match. Yinnar held on to score 13-5 to 11-8. In the match of the round much improved Morwell East showed it means business this year toppling Mirboo North 12-10 to 10-9 to grab second place on the table. Trafalgar and Hill End both winless for the season - Trafalgar had played a draw - had a tough battle all day for the Balfour trophy. At the finish it was Trafalgar edging out the Hillmen 11-11 to 10-9. Players got their first taste of what might lie ahead in the next few months as they battled cold, windy and showery weather last Saturday. There were also some bursts of sun but in this passage in the senior game at Warragul the Gulls’ Kody Wilson, released to play by VFL club Casey Scorpions, had to contend with one of the showers as he cleared the ball from defence. Photograph: Paul Cohen