NOTHING less than a win would do for Melton South on Saturday and the Panthers ensured the finals dream would stay alive for another week as it beat Melton by 71 points.
Having struggled for three-quarters before storming to victory in the last meeting between the town rivals, this time South broke away in the second term on the way to winning 26.11 (167) to Melton 14.12 (96).
An open exchange of goals in the last quarter denied South the percentage boost it so desperately needed to move into seventh.
It’s still eighth (5-8, 91 per-cent), behind Bacchus Marsh on percentage and a game behind Ballarat (6-6) in sixth.
South led by 13 at quarter time before spearhead Matt Sutton (nine goals) and dominant on-baller Doug Thomas (six goals) engineered a seven-goals-to-two quarter to have South up by 42 at the long break.
South increased the lead to 64 at the last change before pinching the last term with six goals to five. Matt Sullivan, Marcus Kellett and Anthony Cristofaro were other better Panthers while Daniel Walker and Paul Davis were Melton’s best.
Around the grounds, Sunbury beat Lake Wendouree by 30 points, Redan beat Ballarat by 35, and East Point beat Sebastopol by 95.
