Thrilling win sets up first Victorian Amateur Football Association finals campaign for Manningham Cobras since 2010.

FOR the first time since 2010 the Manningham Cobras will play Division 4 finals football after their win at Canterbury secured the club a spot in the top four.

Jack MacDonald coach of Manningham during the VAFA Division 4 match between Manningham and Chadstone played at Koonung Reserve on Saturday, July 5, 2015 in Bulleen, Australia. Picture: Hamish Blair

For the first time since 2010 the Manningham Cobras will play Division 4 finals football after their win at Canterbury secured the club a spot in the top four.

The Cobras are now two games clear inside the top four and take on two lower-ranked sides in the coming weeks with just three games remaining.

Canterbury dominated the early going, kicking seven goals to three in the first term. Five goals from both sides turned the game into a shootout in the second quarter and, despite the Cobras showing more confidence, Canterbury’s lead was 21 points at half time.

Cobras’ coach Jack McDonald said Canterbury’s ball use had cut his side up in the first half.

“They were clean with their disposal in the first half and moved the ball on quickly,” he said. “So we decided to go man-on-man after half time. That seemed to slow down their ball movement and, on some occasions, it looked like they didn’t even want to kick to a contest.”

The decision to go one-on-one reaped instant dividends for the Cobras as they kicked eight goals to one in the third term for a 46-point turnaround.

“That was the best quarter we have played all year, to be honest,” McDonald said.

Despite hamstring and knee injuries to three key players, the Cobras held off a determined Canterbury in the final term to claim the all-important win, 17.15 (117) to 17.7 (109).

“It was a really taxing game,” McDonald said.

“To Canterbury’s credit, they kept coming and it was a really good game of footy that was played in great spirit. I think we’ll get them in the finals, so both teams will have some thinking to do.

“We’re chocker block full of confidence after we ran Hawthorn to the wire a few weeks ago and we probably let that game slip.

“Our depth will be tested come finals time, but we are there now and we’re a one-in-four chance to win it.”

Meanwhile, in Premier, Old Trinity’s place in the finals is on shaky ground after it was defeated at home by Old Brighton, 13.7 (85) to 10.11 (71).

In the battle between first and second in Premier B, it was the league-leading University Blues who showed their class at home over Old Carey, 10.12 (72) to 7.8 (50).

Marcellin led at all changes in its Premier C win at Oakleigh, 14.12 (96) to 11.19 (85), but they were lucky to hold on as an inaccurate Oakleigh kicked 4.7 in the final term.

In Division 1, Bulleen Templestowe defeated Prahran Assumption, 12.11 (83) to 11.13 (79), while Whitefriars went down at home to NOBS/St Pats, 14.11 (95) to 10.10 (70), leaving them just half a game clear of the relegation zone.