As teams gear up towards the Wimmera Hockey Association finals later this month, some great hockey is being played as they jostle for the best position to pursue their premiership aspirations.
Those who braved the cold conditions on Saturday evening to watch the last game in round 12 at Dimboola were treated to some intense hockey.
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The home team showed glimpses of their potential when they fielded close to their best line-up and took the game right up to the undefeated Yanac Tigers in the Open competition.
Although the Tigers' did more of the attacking, the Burras' defence kept them out for the first half and looked dangerous when they swung the ball into their own forward line.
A converted penalty stroke in the third quarter gave the Tigers the advantage, which they extended with a field goal late in the game to win a challenging and entertaining encounter by two goals and keep their perfect season record intact.
The fifth-placed Burras are still in the race for the finals but need at least two wins from their remaining three matches, although if other results go against them, even three victories may not be enough.
In the earlier games, the second-placed Kaniva Cobras defeated the Horsham Hurricanes 4-1, and the third-placed Warrack Hoops defeated the Nhill Rangers four goals to one.
This keeps these two victorious teams locked on the same points and will take the battle for second place on the ladder into the remaining three rounds, with the second chance in the finals possibly not decided until the Cobras and Hoops in the last round.
OTHER NEWS:
Women's competition
Both games in the Women's competition were close encounters decided by just one goal each.
The Nhill Thunderbirds locked in the four teams that will play finals when they defeated Warracknabeal, who have run out of time to rise from fifth place this season.
In a very close game, the Thunderbirds scored ten minutes into the game, but from then on, there was nothing to separate the teams for the next hour of play.
Kaniva is just one win away from confirming they will finish the season on top of the ladder, although they had to work hard to defeat a determined Horsham Jets.
With the rare luxury of having their best players on the field, the Jets showed that they can match it with the best, as it was only a goal late in the final quarter that allowed the Kaniva to claim the win.
Juniors
In the Under 16 competition, the scorecard suggested that the Nhill Leopards had a comfortable win over the Warrack Revengers, but on the field, they had to work hard for their four goals while conceding two, giving a result that ensures they will finish in second place on the ladder.
The Horsham Bombers scored once early in the first quarter against the Kaniva Raiders, but some determined defence prevented them from adding another goal to this until midway through the third quarter.
A third score in the last period of play set the final winning margin for the Bombers, but this result did not disgrace the young Raiders team.
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