North Ballarat Rebels chalked up their ninth straight win as 23-point victors against Dandenong at the Stingrays’ home on Saturday.

For the second week in a row, the Rebels were locked in a tight top-of-the-ladder clash in TAC Cup under-18 competition. They fended off Murray Bushrangers by four points last week and Dandenong proved just as fierce trying to dethrone the Rebels this round.

The Stingrays made the early push for control in the opening quarter but the Rebels fought back to a one-point deficit at Shepley Oval.

While the Rebels found an edge in the second quarter, the Stingrays kept persisting and booted three goals in a row to snatch the lead midway early in the third. Play went into lock-down and a hard 10 minutes of football ensued before Rebel Shannon Beks claimed a goal and the lead back.

It went goal-for-goal but a Joe Symons major from the boundary gave the Rebels a seven-point lead going into the final break.

The Rebels put on four goals to one in the final term.

They return to Ballarat next Saturday to host Western Jets.

DETAILS

NORTH BALLARAT REBELS   4.2  6.4  10.5  14.9 (93)

DANDENONG STINGRAYS   4.3  4.7  8.10  9.16 (70)

GOALS – North Ballarat Rebels: Cowan 2 Meek 2 Webster  Carrick  Lee  Simpson  Symons  Korewha  Wellings  Beks  Wheelahan  Eades.

Dandenong Stingrays: Cox 2 Poholke 2 Kiely 2 Downie  Kleverkamp  Young 

BEST – North Ballarat Rebels: Meek Lloyd Simpson McLeod Williamson Cowan.

Dandenong Stingrays: White Prior Kiely Bubb Poholke Cox.