The Thunder muscled up late in the game at Greenfield Park and looked like they would run over the top of the Diesels but couldn’t find that final try. 

Taking a comfortable 18-6 lead into the break, Junee were by the far the better side in the first stanza as simple errors cost the defending premiers.

Despite losing captain-coach Ben Jeffery, the Thunder fought back in the second half but couldn’t quite chase down their rivals.

Junee coach Matt Hands thought the game was the perfect build up to the team’s finals campaign.

“It was a tough, real character building win,” Hands said. “In that second half we had a few blokes go down injured which left us a little light on for size.

“We basically got bashed in that second half by Albury but showed a lot of grit to hang in there when we needed to in the end.”

Levi Freeman was just one of the forwards who helped the Thunder get back into the contest.

He cut the margin down to six as he slammed the ball over the line to score 15 minutes into the second half.

Freeman and the Cowhan brothers, Dave and Andrew, led the revival, as the Albury pack started to get on top.

Junee extended their lead to eight points when Tristan Dickson kicked a penalty goal midway through the half when Hands was ruled to have been taken in the air by Dave Cowhan while kicking.

It proved to be the difference between the two teams.

Freeman looked to have scored his second try before he was denied by referee Bernie Nix, who ruled Hayden Diggins was obstructed from making a tackle two metres from the try line.

However the call didn’t come back to haunt the Thunder when Dave Cowhan got his team with two points in the following set.

Cowhan charged down Hands’ clearing kick before diving on the loose ball to score with 12 minutes to go.

The Thunder had another great opportunity to score when Will Merritt failed to clean up a grubber kick 10 metres out from his own line but the Diesels defence repelled the late charge.

The win seals Junee second spot on the ladder while denting Albury’s finals chances.

The Thunder will have one eye on Young’s clash with Gundagai on Sunday while they have the bye before lining up to tackle the Tigers in the last round.

Junee face Kangaroos and the Cherrypickers in the last two rounds as it looks to break a premiership drought.

Hands was expecting a tough clash and was thrilled to come away with the win on the border.

“I think it was just the hit out we needed as we haven’t played finals footy in a few years,” he said. “It was a good hit out to see what that next level is going to be like come round one of the finals.”

Full-time

JUNEE 20 (D Foley, J Hampton, T Dickson, C Morris tries; T Dixon 2 goals d ALBURY 18 (R Sargeant, D Cowhan, L Freeman tries; C Breust 3 goals)