NORTH Ballarat will take momentum into the mid-season break after maintaining its domination over Bendigo Bombers at Essendon's Windy Hill in the Victorian Football League yesterday.The Selkirk Roosters withstood a late charge to out-last Bendigo by six points.North Ballarat has now won 18 of its 19 clashes with Bendigo in the VFL.Just as Williamstown did against North Ballarat the previous week, Bendigo worked its way to an eight-point lead in time-on in the last quarter.Not to be denied though, for the second week in a row the Roosters' resolve enabled them to regain control - this time 15.14 (104) to 15.8 (98) A healthy start with a five-goal first quarter helped North Ballarat maintain a small, but handy enough lead for the first half.Whenever Bendigo threatened, North Ballarat found something extra as the physically hard sides of the likes of Myles Sewell, Dan Feery, Marcus White, Steve Clifton and Cam Richardson were to the fore in old-fashioned wet weather football.North Ballarat coach Gerard FitzGerald asked for long kicks rather than handball and on the whole this was what he got, with key defenders Shaune Moloney and Matt Tyler among the better exponents as they battled with a rotation of Bendigo talls such as Jay Neagle and Jason Cloke.The Bombers made their first serious move of the day in the third term.Three goals in three minutes cut deeply into what had been a 20-point lead for North Ballarat, and it was not long before the home team was in front and looking the fresher.It was from there that the real battle started, and it ultimately required every bit of nous the Roosters had to get the money in a thriller.With top team Casey Scorpions suffering a 124-point thrashing at the hands of Williamstown on Saturday, North Ballarat has been rewarded for two nailbiting wins in as many weeks with second position as it prepares to have next weekend off as part of the split round.Williamstown heads the table on percentage.FitzGerald is more than happy with eight wins and two losses with his young and developing team.He said he would readily have accepted this record if offered it at the start of the season."You have to love their spirit," FitzGerald said in admiration of the way the Roosters had again fought their way out of trouble.He said the players' will to win was enormous, as was their ability to work hard."We stood up under pressure."It stands us in good stead," he said.North Ballarat's next assignment is Collingwood at the Magpies' old home of Victoria Park on Saturday July 3.