LEETON-Whitton took a giant step towards locking down a top three position with a 13-point win over Wagga Tigers on Saturday.
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The Crows were slow to start but eventually levelled and got on top, getting home 6.12 (48) to 5.5 (35) in a crappy contest in wet conditions at Robertson Oval.
It was still anyone’s game at three-quarter-time with only four points separating the two teams after an ugly, goalless third term.
A Bryce O’Garey goal 40 seconds into the last quarter extended the Crows’ margin to 10 points, and Daniel Muir kicked the sealer, his third for the game, nine minutes later to help Leeton-Whitton skip 17 points clear.
A late goal to Rob Tuohey helped narrow the margin a couple of minutes out from full-time but it could not help Tigers avoid a third consecutive disappointment.
Leeton-Whitton coach Jade Hodge was proud as punch of his team.
“It was one of the better wins I’ve been involved in, it was a really good win,” Hodge said.
“Grand finals and that obviously come first but as far as feelings in the rooms after the game go, that was a really character-building win for us.
“We had 22 contributors, which was really pleasing.”
The win keeps the Crows in third, but opens up a six point buffer on Tigers, who drop to fifth. They also have a game and percentage on fourth-placed Griffith.
Hodge knows how important the win was.
“It was a must win game for us, especially being into the back half of the season and our next few games are really tough,” he said.
Tigers started strongly with a four-goal opening term to lead by 16 points at quarter-time.
Worryingly for the home team, they then went more than an hour of football without a goal.
Hodge believes, despite a slow start, the Crows always had control of the contest.
“Even though we were three goals down early, I didn’t think we were that bad,” he said.
“Our intensity and want for the contest was up the whole game.
“To be honest, through the second and third quarters, we had the majority of the footy and were right on top. It was just our kicking that kept them in it.”
Luke Potter played one of the games of his career to be named best for the Crows.
Tyh Evans was very good across half-back, while the Crows were thrilled with the tagging job Isaac Houghton did on Tigers captain-coach Shaun Campbell. Toby Conroy and Neil Irwin were others to contribute strongly.
Jake Gaynor was everywhere in defeat for Tigers, while Harvey Daniher and Nick Ryan were also good.
