Mansfield blooms late to oust Shepparton United in tight-fisted GVL encounter

If the scoreline didn’t already tell the story, Shepparton United went down swinging in a hard-fought slog in the high country.

Lining up against Mansfield, an iron-wrought, goal-kicking machine on its back paddock, the Demons impacted the scoreboard first with the first two goals of the match sandwiched between four Eagles behinds.

While the host had rust to shake off in front of the sticks, Duane Hueston’s men seemed a lock to head into quarter-time up until Mansfield’s Ben Christopher and Billy Hogan slotted one major apiece to set the game’s tone.

From there, the Eagles started to outgun its travelling opposition and kicked 21 points to United’s 12 to double its earlier one-goal advantage at the half.

The pressure cooker of Mansfield Recreation Reserve transformed into a slow cooker in the third term, with the rate of scoring dropping off significantly.

Still, the Demons scrimped, scratched and scraped their way back within a sniff of the Eagles as Kaedyn Napier’s late effort drew the visitors nine points adrift of parity.

Five minutes into the last quarter, though, Mansfield was off like the clappers to shut down any thought of a United spur as perennial goal threat Christopher kicked off proceedings.

Patrick Marks built the Eagles’ lead to 20, and another Mansfield major a minute later would’ve all but broken the Demons’ hearts if not for another from Napier shortly after.

Both sides went blow for blow in the final five minutes of play which suited the hosts to a tee, closing out the game with a 19-point lead to take all four points from a potential banana-skin clash.

Mansfield defender Dirk Koenen took best afield honours while Brett Mahoney and Christopher (three goals) had great days out.

On the United front, Napier kicked a game-high four majors while Jesse Cucinotta put in a true captain’s display in a loss that United can take plenty away from.