Welcoming the Bulldogs to their home court, the Lakers proved why they have been occupying the top rungs of the ladder all season long, with a brutal second quarter setting up the decisive victory.
After another excellent dress rehearsal as the finals series draws closer, Nagambie A-grade coach Katie Sullivan said she was incredibly proud of her team’s efforts across the whole four quarters.
“We knew Merrigum had improved a lot and that it was going to be a good, tight contest,” Sullivan said.
“It certainly didn’t all go our own way. The girls really had to fight hard after a very even first quarter and managed to break away with a clinical second quarter.
“To Merrigum’s credit, though, they didn’t make things easy for us after half-time and kept us on our toes. So for the girls to fight through that constant pressure and come away with a nine-goal win, it was something I was very proud of.”
Knowing her team would be tested by a Merrigum side renowned for its fast-paced style of game, Sullivan outlined what she believed tipped the scales in Nagambie’s favour.
“Merrigum are a very fit and athletic side who were very deceiving in the way they moved the ball and things,” she said.
“So we were just able to steady and get back to creating the room and space for each other. We tried to put some real speed on the ball and give our attack end as many opportunities as possible.
“Sharni Lloyd coming back into the line-up also made a big difference, with her leadership and experience pivotal into us putting together that dominant second quarter.”
In a match that yielded plenty of winners for the home side, Sullivan revealed who she believed impressed the most on the day.
“Ella Barnes was excellent in goal keeper and provided us plenty of opportunities through forcing turnovers and making it tough for them to make shots, so she got our incentive,” she said.
“Rylee Alderton had another excellent game at goal shooter as well, and overall there was just plenty of talk and run coming through the mid court and it was a lovely game to play.”
Nagambie now prepares for a top-of-the-table clash against Shepparton East at Central Park Recreation Reserve this weekend before the finals kick off in a fortnight’s time.
Elsewhere, Avenel’s finals hopes took a major hit as it fell to Dookie United 61-43, Lancaster ground out a clinical 52-38 win over Rushworth and Tallygaroopna continued its dominance with a comprehensive 59-25 dismantling of Girgarre.
Murchison-Toolamba was too good for Stanhope, recording a 39-24 victory and Longwood produced a 66-27 annihilation of Undera, while Shepparton East rounded out the weekend’s action with a 56-22 win over Violet Town.
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