GORDON continued its struggle through the lower rungs of the Central Highlands Football League ladder with a percentage-boosting 78-point win against Carngham Linton on Saturday.
The Hawks kicked four unanswered goals in the first quarter and never looked back en route to winning 19.11 (125) to 6.11 (47).
The three-and-eight Hawks moved up to 13th on the 18-team ladder, overtaking neighbour
Ballan (3-8) in the process thanks to the Blues’ one-point loss to Dunnstown.
The Hawks and Blues are now four games off the finals pace of eighth-placed Beaufort (7-4) with six rounds remaining.
In a thriller at Dunnstown, the home side stunned Ballan to win by a point, 9.11 (65) to 10.4 (64).
Dunnstown’s Aaron Brennan kicked a behind to level the scorecard late in the final term before the surging Towners smothered a Ballan kickout to rush the winning point with a minute to go.
Ballan led at every change and collapsed in the final quarter, going scoreless after leading by 15 points at three-quarter time.
Zach Peoples booted five goals for the Blues while Daniel Mullane and Marcus Darley were better players.
– with Simon Curtain, Chris Lawrey, Ballarat Courier
