Yarrawonga lands upset win over Wangaratta in Ovens and Murray

The Pigeons held a six-point lead at half-time after an inaccurate display, but then kicked six goals to two to post an 11.14 (80) to 7.10 (52) win in front of the club's biggest crowd in a number of years of around 1150.

"It was probably the first time this year we went close to playing four quarters," coach Mark Whiley explained.

"We tried to limit our turnovers, but the biggest thing for me was our effort, tackling and pressure around the pill, if you do that well, you give yourself every chance."

The Pies went into the match without a number of top players, including ruck Chris Knowles and small defender Mark Anderson, and then suffered three crucial injuries to Mat Grossman, Callum Moore and Jamie Anderson, leaving the visitors with one player on the bench.

It naturally robbed the ladder leaders of firepower, but it would be disrespectful to downplay the Pigeons' display, which was their best since playing the last of the preliminary final seasons in 2017.

At one stage the ball went high in the air, with Wangaratta coach Ben Reid the only player within five metres from the ball.

By the time it landed, there were three Pigeons who swamped him.

"We knew the way they were going to play and it took us probably a quarter and a half to get on top of that," Reid offered.

"We knew they'd be bloody hard at it, they have a really solid midfield and are well-drilled, we know they wanted to win it on the inside and they'll kick it around and they didn't disappoint us, credit to Yarra, they were fantastic."

Yarrawonga's Leigh Williams has overtaken Wangaratta's big three - Reid, Michael Newton and Moore - as the league's best forward.

He kicked almost half the team's goals with five and when he's in the play, appears capable of marking anything, no matter how many opponents are around.

Midway through the second term, he plucked a terrific pack mark.

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Yarrawonga also went to school on Wangaratta Rovers' coach Daryn Cresswell's effort the previous week where the seemingly invincible Pies won by only 14 points, with small defender Jack Sexton taking either Joe Richards or Abraham Ankers when they moved forward, while Jack Forge tagged Richards in the midfield.

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