IT wasn’t a beauty or a shocker but Yarrawonga’s 28-point win over Wodonga could be described as something in between.
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After a first-half arm-wrestle, the Pigeons slowly worked their way on top with the mercurial Craig Ednie instrumental in the home team breaking the match open.
Yarrawonga struggled to find a target to kick to and will have to get used to it without key forward Brendan Fevola out for the next six weeks with his broken ankle.
“I had the ankle pinned to help speed up the recovery,” Fevola said.
“Otherwise my season would have been over.
“This way and, with the way the draw is, I’m hoping to be back against North Albury in round 16.”
With the stakes high for a position in the top five, Yarrawonga broke the deadlock early in the final quarter.
In a 17-minute-burst, the Pigeons took complete control slamming on five unanswered goals with young ruckman Riley Welsh, who is coming along in leaps and bounds, the perfect starting point against Bulldog workhorses Sam Maher and Matt Seiter.
Best afield Ednie had his third goal just 19 seconds after the bounce in the final term and Matt Gorman, Kayne Pettifer, Beau Seymour and Marcus Hargreaves quickly followed as the Pigeons raced to a 42-point lead.
Captain Tim Cooper, Connor Hargreaves, Xavier Leslie, Tyler Bonat and another impressive youngster in Marcus Hargreaves gathered plenty of possessions to put the Pigeons in the box seat to contest another finals series.
With games against Corowa-Rutherglen, Myrtleford and Wangaratta ahead, the Pigeons’ position should be secure before Fevola’s return against the Hoppers.
Pigeon coach Drew Barnes was pleased his troops stood up when it counted.
“I think our leaders stood up and the other guys jumped on board as well,” Barnes said.
Dean Harding was left deflated.