Benalla gladly takes four Goulburn Valley League points as Tatura injury bug continues to bite

Much has, of course, been made in recent times of the astonishing injury crisis plaguing the red, white and blue outfit, but this contest opened with a proper arm-wrestle.

No clear gap could be established throughout the whole first half, in fact, as the slightly favoured Saints led by the smallest of margins at the first change and took an advantage of less than one goal into the sheds at half-time.

The Bulldogs did actually sneak back into the lead with the second half’s first true strike to get a single point up, but from that point, Benalla hardly looked back again.

Taking four of the next five scoring shots, the Saints put the game’s first genuine bit of breathing room between themselves and their undermanned foes, but four consecutive behinds in the third term’s closing stages left some questions unanswered.

Eventually assuming a 21-point buffer with a quarter to play, Benalla rocked the house in front of its home fans, with Jarrad Waite’s side laying claim to its first seven-goal quarter all season to close out a 16.16 (112) to 8.9 (57) win in more than comfortable fashion.

Wade King, described by Waite as “an excitement machine”, finished the day with five goals for the victorious Saints, while Mitch Heywood battled hard for Tatura with four.

Waite was glad to get out with another set of four points, to say the least.

“It was a good win for the boys yesterday and our performances have been getting better,” Waite said.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game of footy, but we played the game I know we can after three-quarter time and ran it out comfortably.

“It’s been a long time since we could do that.

“I thought Mark Marriott was really good around the ground for us again and Nick Mellington was excellent as well.”

Of course, there was due acknowledgement of the fact Benalla’s forwards had occasionally made things difficult around the goals.

Nonetheless, Waite was proud of his charges stepping up to deliver the hammer blow when the game was there to be taken.

“We missed goals we shouldn’t have, but the boys kept attacking and locked the ball in our forward half,” Waite said.

“Then, in that last term, we got that reward that helps keep the boys enthusiastic for the second half of the year.

“I knew that if we could defend well and move the ball with some urgency, we had pretty good players who could make that work for us.”

Mooroopna, fresh off a lesson at the hands of Shepparton on Saturday, awaits on the schedule after the Saints’ upcoming bye — a hefty ask, but one Waite and his side are prepared to embrace.

“We’ll go back to looking at how Mooroopna played against us in round two, when they beat us pretty heavily,” Waite said.

“We’ve improved a lot since then, both offensively and defensively, and we know the style we want to play.

“It’s a good challenge and we’re looking forward to that against a very good team.”