Interleague country footy: Ovens and Murray beats Goulburn Valley in tight finish

Bragging rights stay with Ovens and Murray after an interleague thriller at Albury that included a stellar comeback from Goulburn Valley. Read all the details.

Ovens and Murray has held off a gallant Goulburn Valley to retain the Ash-Wilson Trophy with a pulsating seven-point victory in their interleague clash played at Albury on Saturday.

The host league was on track to repeat its crushing 55-point win last year when it opened a 34-point lead at quarter time before the GV began a fightback that saw it lead by 15 points early in the last term.

The O and M turned to Albury young gun Riley Bice for a lift up forward with captain Leigh Williams unable to convert any of his many chances in front of goal.

Ovens and Murray captain Leigh Williams stretches for mark against Goulburn Valley. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Bice kicked two goals to bring the O and M back within three points and it regained what looked like a winning lead of seven points when another Albury player Lucas Conlan converted from a 50 metre penalty.

But the GV dug deep again and hit the lead with back-to-back goals from Ben Rigoni and Jack Evans with the latter finishing with four goals.

The O and M kicked the last two goals of the game with Yarrawonga’s Matt Casey converting from the square and Wangaratta Rovers’ player Dylan Stone snapping the sealer.

“It was fantastic, but full credit to the boys,” O and M coach Damian Sexton said.

“Position by position, contest by contest, they all lifted, and a couple of boys then took their opportunities forward.”

Ovens and Murray’s Jack Gerrish is tackled high by Goulburn Valley’s Lachie Hill. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Kyabram’s Kaine Herbert and Mansfield’s Frazer Dale were instrumental in the GV fightback as was Shepparton United livewire Jayden Magro, who kicked two important goals in the third term to level the scores.

Ruckman Bryce Stephenson also played well in the ruck for GV.

“It was an amazing game of footy, interleague is alive and kicking,” GV coach Mark Lambourn said.

“It could have been an easy one for us to go ‘here we go again, same as last year’.

“But we had a young team, we backed them, we encouraged them.”

Goulburn Valley ruckman Bryce Stephenson competes with Ovens and Murray rival Jack Driscoll. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

The O and M didn’t score a goal in the second term with Ewan Mackinaly breaking the goal drought with two goals in the third.

Albury’s Jim Grills played well on the wing across four quarters for the O and M with defender Charlie Morrison also impressing.

The O and M trailed by two points at three quarter with the last term starting disastrously with former Myrtleford star Lachie Dale-Murphy the recipient of a 100m penalty following some undisciplined play from the host league.

MATCH DETAILS

OVENS AND MURRAY 6.5 6.8 8.10 13.14 (92)

GOULBURN VALLEY 1.1 4.3 9.5 13.7 (85)

Goals: OVENS AND MURRAY: Casey 2, Bice 2, Mackinlay 2, Riccardi, Stone, O’Brien, Grills, Jewell, Glanvill, Conlan. GOULBURN VALLEY: Evans 4, Magro 3, Christopher 2, Rigoni, Hill, Murphy-Dale, Monohan.

Best: OVENS AND MURRAY: Grills, Morrison, Bice, Conlan, Hayes, Mathey. GOULBURN VALLEY: Herbert, Dale, Stephenson, Mills, Evans, Monohan, Magro.