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Sport

13 June, 2024

A reserve team with big opportunity to cement top two spot

Maryborough’s A reserve team will have a chance to cement a spot inside the top two at the halfway mark of the season if they can defeat Strathfieldsaye at Barker Oval Princes Park tomorrow. The Magpies are in stellar form at the moment, having...

By Michael Thompson

Katie Bilton looks for options in the midcourt.
Katie Bilton looks for options in the midcourt.

Maryborough’s A reserve team will have a chance to cement a spot inside the top two at the halfway mark of the season if they can defeat Strathfieldsaye at Barker Oval Princes Park tomorrow.

The Magpies are in stellar form at the moment, having had five wins and a draw from seven games, and will be hoping to make another statement against a Strathfieldsaye team that have dipped in their last two games.

A terrific performance against Eaglehawk was just the fillip the Magpies needed after some competitive games against South Bendigo and Golden Square.

Much of the Magpies’ drive was generated by Ella Patten, who was stopping Eaglehawk attacks at will and helping start counterattacks with her fast ball movement.

The good work of Amanda Durbridge, Katie Bilton and Millie Cassidy ensured that the ball was able to be fed into the goal circle efficiently throughout the afternoon as a result, and it meant that Jordan MacIlwain and Megan Kelly were benefitting all afternoon, with Kelly finishing with 29 goals, MacIlwain 14 and Bilton one.

With some luck, a Maryborough win and a South Bendigo and Castlemaine loss would see the Magpies four and a half games inside the top five, and almost certainly assured of finals.

Meantime, the B grade will be hoping for a competitive outing after having a recent good patch where they have competed for long periods, but haven’t quite pulled off the victory they desire, when they welcome fourth-placed Strathfieldsaye.

It will be a tricky task for the Magpies B reserve team, with Strathfieldsaye sitting in third place.

Maryborough’s 17 and under squad will have a big task against the fifth-placed Storm, with a win crucial to not just their chances of securing another finals berth, but also clearing away in the race for the double chance.

At this stage, the Magpies currently sit two games clear inside the top five, and one game clear of Castlemaine in third.

With Castlemaine playing the unbeaten Sandhurst, a victory for Maryborough will not only see it move three games clear inside the top five, but two games clear in third position ahead of a meeting with Maine the following week at home.

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