NORTH Ballarat City has opened up the Ballarat Football League premiership race.
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City loosened Lake Wendouree’s grip on flag favouritism by upsetting the competition pacesetter by 39 points at Eureka Stadium on Saturday.
With injuries taking a toll, Lakers are no longer the dominant source they were mid-season. Only three rounds ago they were three games clear on top.
The loss to North Ballarat was Lake Wendouree’s second in its past three outings and has it just one game clear of Bacchus Marsh, which again asserted its authority by downing East Point by 57 points at Maddingley Park on Sunday.
There is now every possibility that the minor premiership could be decided in the last home and away round when the Lakers meet Bacchus Marsh at Wendouree.
For Cobras coach Travis Hodgson, finishing on top would be a bonus, but it is not a priority.
His focus has been on securing the double chance with a top-two finish and he believes getting over East Point has most likely locked that in.
Bacchus Marsh remains one game clear of Sunbury, Redan and North Ballarat City, which all had wins on Saturday, with four rounds remaining and Hodgson is confident of a strong finish.
While the Cobras are preparing for their first final series in more than a decade, East Point’s finals hopes took another hit with the defeat.
The Kangaroos remain eighth and one game adrift of Melton and Darley after all three suffered losses.
East Point faces another critical game on Saturday against giant-killing North Ballarat City, while Melton and Darley each has a bye.
Unless the Kangaroos can break a three-game losing run, they will find themselves two games outside the top six with time running out.
They do have a favourable draw though.
East finishes with Ballarat (ninth), Melton and Sebastopol (10th), although it did get beaten by Ballarat and Melton earlier in the season – results which now haunt it.
Melton has Bacchus Marsh and North Ballarat City either side of East Point, and Darley meets North Ballarat City, Melton South and Sunbury.