Lake Wendouree and East Point each ended a run of outs in the Ballarat Football League on Saturday.
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While Lakers' had had longer to wait to get back into winning touch, victory was just as sweet for East Point in round eight.
Lake Wendouree claimed a major scalp in Melton at CE Brown Reserve.
Although the margin was relatively close - 11.6 (72) to 9.7 (61) - it was much more comfortable than scoreline indicated.
Lakers led by 25 points well into time-on in the last term before Melton added two consolation goals.
Lake Wendouree had not tasted success since round three, with the subsequent three losses and a draw putting its finals hopes in jeopardy.
While they still have plenty of work to do, Lakers are at least back in the mix - especially given they still have the points from a bye to come in a few rounds.
Coach Dale Power said Lake Wendouree needed to build on the experience gained in the performance. "We need to push on."
He said producing four quarters of the football it needed to play had been the key.
"We played smart and stuck to our structures."
Lakers led by one point at half-time and then answered all the challenges the physically bigger Melton threw at them.
Being unable to stem a run-on by rivals has been a constant headache for Lakers, but Power was delighted they had been able to smother the Bloods and ultimately out-run them.
The loss is a setback for Melton, which drops a game behind the top three and finds itself in a mid-table battle.
EAST Point bounced back after back-to-back defeats, but only just - holding out Sunbury 9.18 (72) to 9.13 (67) at the Eastern Oval.
There was little in the game all day, and a draw looked a strong possiblity when Sunbury fought back to level the scores deep into the last term.
It was a dour struggle from the outset, with goals hard to come by and tempers fraying on numerous occasions as the Roos and Lions tried to break the deadlock.
East's Clay Bilney kicked the first goal of the day in the 21st minute of the first quarter and with each side wasteful in attack this was the only major for the term.
The next did not come until 11 minutes into the second quarter. and again it went the Roos' way.
East Point led for all but a few minutes, but was never more than three goals in front, with Sunbury clawing back the margin each time.
Ruckmen Jaykeb Lench (East Point) and Jayden Eales (Sunbury) enjoyed one of the duels of the day.
REDAN had to work hard to overcome a spirited North Ballaray City outfit, but managed to do it emphatically in the end by 42 points.
Final scores at the City Oval: 18.14 (122) to 12.8 (80)
The tale of the story in many ways was the start and the end of the match.
Redan dominated each of these periods to put some distance between itself and North.
It was the experienced Redan heads who stood up when it mattered, with Grant Bell and Liam Hoy among the main contributors.
The Lions opened with five goals and then capped it off with seven majors in the last quarter after North Ballarat had charged back into contention.
SEBASTOPOL and Bacchus Marsh each had the win it needed in the quest to reach finals.
The Burra had to work hard to fend off Ballarat at Alfredton, but four goals in the third term to stretch its lead to 32 points was to be enough.
The winless Swans finished hard, but again came up short by 18 points.
Aaron Willitts had a day out with 10 goals as Bacchus Marsh defeated Melton South by 112 points at Melton Recreation Reserve.
LADDER
REDAN 7 6 1 0 1 0 717 551 130.13 28
EAST POINT 8 6 2 0 0 0 821 461 178.09 24
DARLEY 7 5 2 0 1 0 580 441 131.52 24
BACCHUS MARSH 7 4 3 0 1 0 680 470 144.68 20
SEBASTOPOL 7 4 3 0 1 0 500 422 118.48 20
MELTON 7 4 3 0 1 0 528 460 114.78 20
Sunbury 8 4 4 0 0 0 700 659 106.22 16
Lake Wendouree 8 3 4 1 0 0 524 678 77.29 14
North Ballarat City 7 2 5 0 1 0 458 528 86.74 12
Melton South 7 1 6 0 1 0 319 880 36.25 8
Ballarat 7 0 6 1 1 0 457 734 62.26 6
DETAILS
Sebastopol 3.1, 7.3, 11.5, 12.10 (82)
Ballarat 4.0, 5.3, 6.3, 10.4 (64)
GOALS - Sebastopol: M. Powell 4, G. Lovett 2, J. Harvey 2, J. Keeble 1, H. Papst 1, B. Weightman 1, L. Kiel 1. Ballarat: A. Hooper 3, N. O'Farrell 2, T. Sutton 1, W. Garner 1, D. Kennedy 1, W. Liston 1, M. Powling 1
BEST - Sebastopol: L. Cassidy, T. Lockyer, L. Kiel, H. Papst, T. Thoolen, G. Lovett. Ballarat: M. Powling, D. Kennedy, T. Sutton, B. Van de Heuvel, L. Dawson, G. Baldwin
East Point 1.5, 4.11, 7.13, 9.18 (72)
Sunbury 0.5, 2.7, 7.11, 9.13 (67)
GOALS - East Point: J. Johnston 3, C. Bilney 2, M. Johnston 1, J. Brown 1, M. Rotumah-Onus 1, B. Jones 1. Sunbury: A. Goodson 3, L. Bramble 3, L. Brennan 2, J. Eales 1
BEST - East Point: J. Johnston, D. Murphy, C. Bilney, J. McQueen, J. Lench, J. Brown. Sunbury: M. Conn, L. Bramble, D. Kempster, T. Stead, C. Mobilio, J. Eales
Lake Wendouree 2.1, 5.4, 8.4, 11.6 (72)
Melton 2.2, 5.3, 7.4, 9.7 (61)
GOALS - Lake Wendouree: B. Taylor 3, J. Lohmann 2, B. Edwards 1, K. Raven 1, S. Carlin 1, C. Hepworth 1, J. Coxall 1, N. Pring 1. Melton: S. Campbell 2, B. Archard 2, J. Kight 1, B. Souter 1, A. Hibbert 1, L. Carter 1, R. Carter 1
BEST - Lake Wendouree: S. Hutchinson, B. Taylor, J. Lohmann, W. Henderson, B. Edwards, C. Hepworth. Melton: S. Campbell, M. Orr, A. Hibbert, L. Heaney, C. Griffiths, B. Crofts
Redan 5.5, 9.5, 11.9, 18.14 (122)
North Ballarat City 3.1, 6.5, 10.6, 12.8 (80)
GOALS - Redan: G. Bell 4, L. McLean 2, P. Fitzgibbon 2, L. Hoy 2, A. Cleary 2, L. George 1, C. Atchison 1, W. Madden 1, B. Thomson 1, A. Harvey 1, L. O'Brien 1. North Ballarat City: R. Hobbs 3, S. Bromley-Lynch 2, C. McCallum 2, I. Johnson 2, E. Lamb 1, B. Freeman 1, R. Polkinghorne 1
BEST - Redan: P. Britt, L. O'Brien, G. Bell, N. Barker, C. Atchison, D. Mathews. North Ballarat City: C. McCallum, J. McNamara, S. Bromley-Lynch, B. Leonard, C. Jenkins, R. Polkinghorne
Bacchus Marsh 4.0, 10.7, 18.12, 27.15 (177)
Melton South 2.0, 6.0, 7.3, 10.5 (65)
GOALS - Bacchus Marsh: A. Willitts 10, J. Owen 4, T. Shea 2, J. De Winter 2, B. Griffiths 2, K. Dickson, D. Burton, B. Easton, J. Parente, N. Stuhldreier, D. Phyland, H. King. Melton South: not supplied
BEST - Bacchus Marsh: N. Stuhldreier, A. Willitts, B. Easton, D. Burton, T. Shea, H. King. Melton South: not supplied