The Panthers put together a solid four-quarter performance to win by 63 points after the game had hung in the balance for the first 50 minutes.

After both teams kicked two goals each in the first term, the second stanza was heading for a goalless quarter as it entered time on.

However a towering goalsquare mark from the impressive Tom Yensch and subsequent goal sparked the Panthers with Adam Prior booting two in a minute.

The late burst provided the Panthers with a handy 22-point buffer at half-time in greasy conditions.

The Hoppers never recovered from that point.

Lavington — with Andrew Dess, Jay Banks, Jack Nunn and Prior providing excellent targets up forward — dominated the second half with nine goals to two.

In a result full of team positives, the Panthers win was soured by the report of midfielder Luke Garland for a bump on Hopper Luke Holman.

Despite playing a man short for 15 minutes Lavington still kicked six goals to one in that time which greatly disappointed North Albury coach Jason Akermanis.

“We just played such dumb footy when we had the spare man when Garland was off,” Akermanis said.

“We stood in the wrong spots, it was just stupid stuff.

“When we did have it we just coughed it up to easy — it was fundamentally disappointing from our point of view.”

North Albury’s tough day at the office was compounded by a long injury toll.

Kris Holman copped a corked thigh, Tom Holman a cut above the eye, Tom Weldon a cut head, Josh Lloyd concussion and Lachie Taylor-Nugent on-going shoulder concerns.