LAVINGTON moved to second spot on the ladder with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Wodonga Raiders at Birallee Park on Saturday.
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The Panthers kicked the final five goals of the game – including four unanswered in the final quarter – to win a low-scoring affair 6.6 (42) to 4.12 (36).
The Raiders could manage just one goal after quarter-time and were left to rue a number of missed opportunities in the final term.
The home side started superbly in windy conditions, with goals to Jydon Neagle, Tyler Cornish and former Panther Adam Flagg handing them a 19-point lead at the first change.
Tom Yensch, a late inclusion for Justin Koschitzke, booted the Panthers’ first goal of the match seven minutes into the second quarter when he kicked truly after a strong grab.
Flagg put the Raiders 22 points ahead early in the third term when he capitalised on a Tom Hargreave spill and it looked as though Daryn Cresswell’s charges were on track for victory against last season’s grand finalists.
But Yensch kept the Panthers within striking distance when he bagged his second goal after another big grab at the 13-minute mark.
Yensch only found out he was playing at 9pm on Friday night but he was the most effective forward on the ground with Adam Prior forced into the midfield after being well held by Dean Giles.
For all their dominance, Raiders only led by 17 points at the final change and there was an overwhelming sense among the Birallee Park faithful that it wasn’t enough.
So it proved.
Jack Nunn curled home a sensational goal from the boundary and when Lavington defender Jono Spina kicked truly following a 50m penalty, all of a sudden the margin was just three points.
Hayden Heta and Ethan Boxall missed gettable shots for the Raiders only to see the evergreen John Hunt go down the other end and put Lavington in front for the first time all day at the 15-minute mark.
Prior put a dirty day behind him to cleverly snap his first goal a minute later and that was enough to seal the Panthers’ eighth win for the season.
“We showed some character to stay with them,” Lavington coach James Saker said.
“We scrapped really well and that gave guys who weren’t having a great day the opportunity to still influence the game.
“If you boil it right down, we were able to finish our chances better than our opposition.”