Lakes Entrance pulled off a huge win in the East Gippsland Football Netball League reserves competition, overcoming the talented Lucknow side by two points at the Lakeside Oval.
The Seagulls went into the match languishing in seventh place on the ladder and looked a mismatch compared to the third ranked Magpies, who had only tasted defeat once for the season to the unbeaten Boisdale Briagolong.
But in a tight and thrilling final term it was the home side who finished strongest to steal the match and revive a season that looked almost dead and buried.
Despite still sitting in seventh position on the table, Lakes Entrance now only trails the fourth-placed Orbost Snowy Rovers by four points.
With Lakes Entrance performing well at senior level in recent weeks and the addition of some players into both sides after injury and unavailability, reserves coach Steve Cole has seen his side perform significantly better in recent weeks.
So they entered Saturday’s clash quietly confident with gun forward Tom Hudson a
huge inclusion.
Goals were hard to come by early in the match with the Seagulls kicking the only scores of the first term – three behinds – as they made a statement they weren’t going to be a push over.
Lakes Entrance continued to dominate the inside 50s in the second quarter with both sides kicking a major for the term, the Seagulls’ total giving them a six-point half time advantage.
Play opened up during the third term, the Magpies showing their class kicking five goals to three, taking an eight-point advantage into the final term.
Thomas Hudson and Tully Davis both kicked two goals for the Seagulls and they were pivotal in the final quarter surge.
Lakes Entrance played its best football for the season in that 20 minutes against a formidable foe, kicking three goals to one to snatch a well-deserved win.
Among the best for the Seagulls were Darcy Sumner, Noah Bottom, Hudson, Tully Davis, ruckman Michael Sowden and hard man Matthew Duggan.
The Lakes Entrance thirds continued their unbeaten run with an emphatic 136-point win over the Magpies.
In control of the match from the first bounce, the young Seagulls rammed the advantage home in the final term like the good sides do, kicking 10 unanswered goals.
There were Plenty of stars up forward for Lakes led by Charlie Graham who helped himself to seven goals, while Oscar Hopkins (five goals), Bill Prior (four), Kye Piper (two) and Riley Jenkins (two) all chipped in during the outstanding team effort.
In the better players were Charlie Forrester, Harper Davis, Blake Thomson, Prior, Jenkins and Xavier Pepper.
Lakes Entrance will host Paynesville this week.
