KERANG maintained its position at the top of the Central Murray Football Netball League ladder with a 55-point win against Koondrook/Barham.
The Blues were rarely troubled by the Raiders, winning every quarter on their way to a comfortable 16.10 (106) to 8.3 (51) victory.
In the midst of a battle with Woorinen for the minor premiership, Kerang importantly gave their percentage a boost, with the five-time reigning premiers and the Tigers both boasting a 7-1 record in season 2017 after last season’s semi-finalists recorded a win against Lake Boga.
Scott Lockwood, Bronson Booth, Jarryd Pertzel and Luke Cotchett all booted bags of three for the hosts, with youngster Joshua Nitschke also kicking two.
Dean Limbach had his equal lowest return for the season up forward for the Raiders, kicking the just the two goals.
Defence has been the cornerstone of the Blues’ premiership defence so far, and the league’s most resolute backline showed why with another suffocating performance.
Koondrook/Barham could only manage two goals each quarter, but became the fourth team to crack 50 points against the Blues this season.
The Raiders fall a rung to seventh on the ladder with the defeat, and could fall as far as eighth by the time the split round is complete.
Whatever the Raiders did in the first half, the Blues effectively doubled, kicking for goals to two in the opening two quarters to take a 28-point lead to half time.
Any slim chance of a fight back were quickly extinguished as the Blues upped the intensity in the premiership quarter.
Five goals for the term just about put the contest to bed as the hosts held a 48-point advantage at the final change.
The Raiders managed to restrict Kerang to just three final quarter goals, but could only kick two themselves.
