A DROUGHT stretching back to 2016 was broken on Saturday afternoon in the Murray Valley Football Netball League, in stunning circumstances.
Paringa travelled to Cambrai on Saturday afternoon, to take on Sedan-Cambrai, with the Swans winless at the venue since the Magpies’ inception into the competition.
Despite leading by two points at quarter time, Paringa were stunned in the second term, leaving the hosts ahead by 27 at the half.
Paringa coach Nick Dillon said his message to the group at the long break was around remaining focused on the task at hand.
“For whatever reason we have struggled down there, it’s a smaller oval, and there is a fair bit of travel involved, but they play their oval really well,” he said.
“We’ve got close a few times, but not so much in recent times, and in round seven we got thumped by 86 points, so to come away with that win was pretty special.
“We were pretty undisciplined in the first half with some late hits and things that led to a lot of their easier goals, so it was just about reigning that in, concentrating on what we can control, and getting things back on our terms.
“We changed a few things as well with our forward line, and some guys played some sacrificial roles, and that’s what we’ve been after all season, so it was nice to see it all click in that second half.”
Paringa erased the deficit back to nine points at three-quarter-time, before a barnstorming finish saw it claim an eight-point victory.
Lee Verrall kicked three goals, and Dean Hill slotted four, in what Dillon said was a player-inspired move.
“He (Hill) approached me at half time and said can you put me up forward and I’ll win this game, and he did, and he was amazing,” he said.
“What he’s been able to do with his body over the last few years to be able to play midfield, and up forward, is credit to him.
“Joel Watson was unbelievable in the last quarter with desperation and composure, but the team were composed having to effectively win the game twice.
“We’ve been working hard all year about what to do in close encounters, and I think we’ve got three or four wins when it’s gone down to the wire, which has been good.”
Jackson Le Couteur continued his superb campaign for the Magpies with a pair of goals, while Lucas Cabot and Brad Nicolai also excelled.
The result sees Paringa leapfrog Sedan-Cambrai, and although Paringa is still one game outside of the top four, Dillon said his side is focusing on one week at a time, even borrowing a phrase from Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan.
“Our competition from second down is really even, and if we don’t rock up on the day we’ll get punished, and that’s happened to us here and there,” he said.
“We’ve got a game in hand which helps, so basically we’re just trying to win every game, and we borrowed a bit of Fagan’s mantra from last year of ‘if we’re going to walk on thin ice, we might as well dance’.
“We’re just trying to play good, attacking football, and not worry about the opposition, and that worked well in the second half on the weekend.”
Paringa will play Wunkar this weekend at the Loxton Oval, while Sedan-Cambrai will remain at home to face Brown’s Well.
Elsewhere, Murrayville crunched Ramco to the tune of 137 points, highlighting the gulf in quality between the two outfits.
Sam Magnisalis got off the chain for the Blues with eight majors, while Richard McKee and skipper Ryan Lewis each kicked four during the 27-goal outing.
The Blues, who are now unbeaten after 11 matches, have the bye this weekend, with Ramco back at home to face BSR.