Down to the wire

A DOUBLE chance spot is on the line for Beechworth against Thurgoona this weekend after failing to secure a top three berth last week. The Bushrangers were dealt a blow at the hands of Kiewa Sandy Creek who prevailed by 74-points at Coulston Park last week. It was just Beechworth’s third loss of the season and it kept the Hawks within grasp of snatching third-place off the Bushrangers if they are unable to take care of business at Baarmutha Park tomorrow. It was a dirty day all around for Beechworth, having lost their bench by the end of the first half to injury and played with 17 players on the ground at times throughout the second half in the 6.8 (44) to 18.10 (118) defeat. Dylan Prithchard and Will O’Meara suffered hamstring injuries while Riley Stone was ruled out with concussion all before half-time. The Bushrangers were leading at quarter-time and were within range at half-time, but ran out of legs as the game went on. Coach Tom Cartledge said his team wouldn’t be dispirited by the weekend’s outcome considering their challenges on the day. “Sometimes these things happen, it doesn’t matter what level of sport you play you can have an off day and things won’t fall your way,” he said. “To Kiewa’s credit they played very well, they had a couple of big milestones which they needed to stand up for, so they did that and put us under the pump. “The boys did fight it out the whole, but the damage was done early and it was real hard to get control after that. “We’ve got try and reset and be ready to go again.” Usual suspects Liam Stephens, Kayde Surrey and Clancy Ellett performed admirably in the loss to be named as the Bushrangers best. Despite the casualty ward of last week the Bushrangers are set to recall big bodies Lachie Armstrong and Skip Pieper back into the side from their own injuries. Thurgoona will also be featuring in finals this year and are set to face the Hawks, Chiltern or Beechworth in the elimination final. The Dogs will be the only team to have not played finals last year, replacing Barnawartha as this year’s fifth placed side. Cartledge said a top-three finish would be front of mind as they look to knock off the surging Thurgoona. "We really don’t want to sit up there all year and fall out in the last round,” he said. “We’ll back ourselves in regardless of where we finish, but the top-three is something you strive a for as a minimum at the start of the season. “We want to give ourselves every opportunity for finals, but having said that, if it doesn’t go our way we’ll have to work out a way forward from there and go again.”

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