A Grade overrun by Blues

And what a game it was. It wasn’t until the dying stages of the fourth quarter that Tongala’s win was assured after carrying a three-goal lead into the final quarter.

The Blues opened a six-goal buffer in a fast start to the quarter, but Mulwala kept the pressure on until the last siren.

The Blues shot off to the perfect start, shooting seven of the first 11 goals of the game but as was the case for the entire contest, the Lions wrestled back momentum in front of a big crowd lining the courtside, both blue and white and red and blue in equal measure.

Steph Hammond shot well early and 200-gamer Grace Thomson looked lively to mark the occasion to get Mulwala out to a four-goal lead.

But Tongala pulled back the deficit before the first break to trail by just two goals.

It was goal-for-goal in the second quarter as the Blues’ backcourt began to lift and on a hot spring day, the clash looked set to be a war of attrition in stifling conditions.

But neither side gave an inch.

Chelsey Wright, Grace Hammond and Halle Gray continued to toil hard while opposing midcourter Lily Sharp began to work her way into the contest.

A burst in the late stages of the third quarter handed the Blues a crucial three-goal buffer heading into a grandstand final quarter of the season. And when the game was there to be won, Tongala held fast.

A goal-for-goal start to the fourth term blew the game open. Despite Mulwala’s best efforts to pull itself back into the contest, the Blues held steady to run out seven-goal premiers.