For the second time this season, Diggers Rest has been left to rue what might have been against Rupertswood in the Riddell District Football League.
After losing to the Sharks by four points earlier in the season, the Burras suffered the same fate on Saturday.
A poor second quarter left the Burras chasing.
They hit the front in both the third and fourth quarters, but eventually fell short as the Sharks won 13.8 (86)-12.10 (82).
Burras coach Jamie Lobb said a slow start had been costly.
The Burras had plenty of inside 50 opportunities, but weren’t able to make the most of them.
“Obviously, we had a slow start to the game and didn’t give ourselves a chance,” Lobb said.
“It goes to show that we can’t switch off – it’s going to cost you games of footy.”
Lobb said the third quarter provided a much better picture of how well the Burras can play, but they were struggling to deliver for four full quarters.
Lachlan Langford and Josh Wallace kicked three goals apiece for the Burras.
Lobb said Taylor Hine was brilliant down back, Jesse Flannery performed as he had been doing all season and Matthew Krul was really good playing ruck for most of the game.
Regular ruckman Sean Egan could miss a couple of weeks after not getting through the game with a leg injury.
“Sean was a bit sore last week and we rolled the dice and played him,” Lobb said.
“He got through a little bit of the game, but was sore in the end. We’ll freshen him up the next week or two and get him right for finals.”
Lobb said they were still missing five or six from their best side and there had been a few late withdrawals due to illness.
The Burras remain in fifth but have played one less game than the top four sides.
Lobb said it was a matter of making sure they kept winning.
“We have to win every game now to try and finish as high as we can,” he said. “Hopefully, a few other results will go our way.”
In other results, Melton Centrals produced the upset of the round by beating Woodend-Hesket 14.11 (95)-7.8 (50).
Dylan Weir kicked five goals, with Jarrod Johns named Centrals best.
Centrals are eighth, two games outside the top six.
Rockbank suffered a big loss to Romsey.
Romsey was out of the blocks early and the Rams never recovered, with the Redbacks winning 23.30 (168)-4.2 (26).
