Lavington were dealt another major blow when star shooter Sarah Senini was taken off court injured in the first five minutes of the Panthers clash with Myrtleford on Saturday.
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It paved the way for what was a nail biting final quarter, as the Panthers clawed their way to a one-goal win.
With Lavington's regular shooters Senini and Hillier watching from the sidelines, defender Maggie Young and youngster Gabbie Star stepped up in the circle.
A turnover by Panthers' defender Sarah Meredith saw Star secure a crucial goal to take the lead in the final quarter, with some missed opportunities by the Saints proving costly.
Lavington coach Tamara Mathews said she was proud of how her team lifted in the absence of Senini, who looks to have injured her knee.
"At this stage we're hoping it's not too serious," Mathews said.
"I was really happy with their resilience and the way they toughed it out and backed it up.
"It was Gabbie's second full game in A-grade and she stepped up beautifully when it counted.
"To remain composed in those conditions and put up the shots when it counted is fantastic for her and should give her confidence going into next week and finals."
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Star admitted it was a tense finish.
"I was just thinking to back up my team because they did the hard yards for me to get it, so I thought I better finish it off for them," Star said.
Saints' defender Rebecca Piazza and midcourt player Tara Breen were dominant for the home side, while Maddie Lloyd and Meredith were strong for the Panthers.
Myrtleford coach Matt Koers said the Saints were looking forward to the challenge heading into the game.
"We thought we panged at stages and threw away some passes that we shouldn't have, so the girls will learn from it," Koers said.
"With one game left to go we'll see if we can take it one step further next week."
In other games, Albury staged a 23-goal win against Wodonga Raiders to keep their finals chances alive.
The Tigers are now just outside the top five on percentage with one game to go before finals.
Yarrawonga took down North Albury 62-39 with young Pigeon goal shooter Elle Brooks racking up 50 goals at home.
Corowa-Rutherglen secured a convincing 52-goal win in the clash of top and bottom against Wodonga Bulldogs on Saturday, in what was a 53-goal display from Grace Senior.
And in Sunday's game the Magpies took out the Wangaratta Derby for the second time this season against Rovers, claiming the win by 25-goals
