Cobram and Albury United have clear air at the top of the ladder after a weekend packed with big games.
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Roar's 5-1 win away to Melrose has kept them a point in front of United, who beat Boomers 3-0 at Glen Park.
And a 4-2 defeat for Wangaratta at home to Myrtleford has seen them slip four points back in third, although they and the Greens both have a game in hand.
Spiros Vourgaslis scored a hat-trick in Cobram's impressive victory at Melrose Park, providing a major boost for coach Vince Iannucci with the departure of fellow centre-forward Jack Dovey imminent.
"I hope he's only just getting started," Iannucci smiled.
"He's been away for a while because he was sent off earlier on and he's done his suspension, so he's back, three goals, not bad, but I want to see a lot more.
"Jack might miss the next game so we'll partner Spiros up with someone else.
"That performance was almost exactly what we talked about before the game, not having so much reliance on the two up front.
"They got involved quite a bit - but at the right times."
Cobram took the lead inside 40 seconds thanks to Jack Smith's powerful header from a corner.
Josh Fluss pulled off a good save to thwart Anthony Corso but moments later, the Melrose coach was pulling off his goalkeeper's gloves and donning a purple shirt after Allistair Brady went down injured.
In a rare swap, Brady went in goal and proceeded to pull off a number of fine saves, while the towering Fluss lined up at centre-half.
However, Brady was beaten by a stooping header from Vourgaslis on 34 minutes while Dovey went close twice in quick succession.
However, the home side halved the deficit in first-half stoppage-time, Adam McLennan swerving a magnificent shot away from Jake Keating and into the top corner after Adam Waters had laid a free-kick into his path.
Any hopes of a Melrose comeback were dashed in the space of four minutes after the hour mark, though, Vourgaslis hurling himself to convert a Bill Puckett free-kick and Corso rifling home after the hosts had failed to clear another set-piece.
Vourgaslis completed his treble, and the scoring, when he tucked away Jackson Temarkon's through-ball with the final kick of the game.
"We're sitting on top of the ladder and a couple of the other teams have got a game in hand but if they drop points, the pressure turns around," Iannucci said.
"We ran our guts out for two weeks and the boys are still sore.
"That's what's going to win us games, running hard and winning the ball back quickly."
Albury Hotspurs beat Twin City 3-2 while Albury City cemented themselves in the top eight with a 4-2 win over St Pats.
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