Riddell held its nerve late against Wallan to keep its premiership hopes alive in the Riddell District Netball League.
After a wet morning, the rain cleared for the A-grade match between the Bombers and Magpies at Gilbert Gordon Reserve on Sunday.
Wallan, which finished the regular season in sixth, started the better of the two teams and led by two at quarter time.
The Bombers produced their best quarter in the second quarter with 16 goals to turn the deficit into a five goal lead at the main break.
Wallan wouldn’t go away and reduced the margin back to two goals at the last break.
The Bombers were able to do just enough to come away with a 46-45 win.
Bombers coach Emily Ktona said they couldn’t break the Magpies.
“It was a little stressful,” she said. “It was one of those games that looked like we would pull away and then they would fight back.
“Credit to them for staying in the game.
“It’s not about the number, it’s about getting the win.”
Ktona said they made a real focus on getting off to a good start.
She said it was something that had been a bit of an issue for them.
“To be two down at quarter time was a massive win for us,” she said. “We haven’t been able to start well and keep putting pressure on ourselves.
“It’s really important for us and we didn’t do it in our last game and it was hard to come back.”
With Wallan having worked back into the game after the second quarter, it ended up being goal for goal late in the match.
Ktona said the final quarter was a bit of a blur.
“The scoreboard at Woodend was directly opposite the players bench and I stopped looking at it,” she said.
“I didn’t know what was happening. We were two goals up, then one goal, then two goals up, then a draw.
“We have been in that situation so many times before. The same thing happened against them last year in the preliminary final when we beat them by one goal.
“We felt like we could do it and didn’t let it go.”
The Bombers will now face Macedon in the preliminary final on Saturday at Kyneton.
Macedon lost its semi final to Woodend-Hesket, 33-29 on Saturday. The Hawks await the winner of the preliminary final in the grand final.
Ktona said the Cats had found form at the right time of the season and there were some players they hadn’t played against yet.
She said several of the two sides play with each other on Monday nights.
The Bombers B-grade side is already through to the grand final.
Their C-grade side will also face Macedon in a preliminary final, while their under-19s were knocked out by Romsey on Sunday.
