Gallery | Shepparton goes 5-0 after shooting down Echuca, Euroa edges Mooroopna in Goulburn Valley League netball

Saturday’s fixture had the billing of a fascinating encounter between two powers.

On one side, Belinda Lees’s Echuca: a team whose very name has become shorthand for dominance in recent seasons.

On the other, Kim Borger’s Shepparton: less decorated, but visibly gathering momentum.

But as the Bears led at every change and didn’t look like throwing the game away at any point on the way to a firm four points, Borger remained pragmatic after her side swung to 5-0 thanks to a statement triumph at home.

“Echuca are always a really tough side,” she said.

“They're very experienced, but they've got some really good younger girls coming through, so for us, they're still very much a danger side even if they are seventh on the ladder.

“Because their lineup's changed a few times, we weren’t exactly sure what we were going to get, but they're still a quality side, and I just said (to) the girls yes, it's our ladies’ day and we want to get there, but we've got a job to do first.”

Shepparton ran riot in the opening few minutes, breaking out to a 6-1 lead as Borger dropped goal after goal through with surgical precision.

Molly Kennedy kept things ticking in the midcourt with Eliza Bicknell for company, but Lees managed to drag her side back within striking distance by quarter time.

The Bears’ five goal buffer boosted to 10, then 12, as Echuca struggled to keep pace with the hosts, and Ruby Higgins joined the party for Shepparton to help shoulder Borger’s shooting load.

Lees’ Murray Bombers pushed and pulled to try and wear the Bears down, and a bright start to the fourth term manifested as Rose Byrne found her form under the ring.

However, Shepparton was about to administer the killer blow.

An 11-goal streak ripped the rug from beneath Echuca, hoisting the hosts to a casual finish off the back of a stirring three-quarter time chat from Borger.

“They're very much a side that can come back and come back very quickly, so I demanded from the girls that we get out of second gear and push forward,” she said.

“We were making a few little silly errors with our given possessions, so I said we must score our given possessions and then anything else we put that in the bank after as well.

“It was just more about raising the intensity and more attention to detail.”

Borger lauded a number of her side’s top performers from the win, which places Shepparton alongside Euroa as the only two sides with flawless records after five rounds.

“Honestly there was quite a few girls out there (who played well), but I think for me Eliza Bicknell, her intensity was great.” she said.

“She was just running around in sixth gear the whole game.

“Molly Kennedy, to run a full game of centre just so effortlessly as well was really nice.

“I think our defenders were really good as well, and Keeley O'Dwyer, she was fantastic and got a great read on the game and was able to pick off a couple of balls out in the midcourt as well.”

Over at Mooroopna, the Cats were undone in gut-wrenching fashion as reigning premier Euroa prevailed by two goals.

With the scores split 12-all at quarter time, the Magpies stole a march into the next two breaks and escaped from the Cattery with a 54-52 win despite some marauding Mooroopna movement late on.

Tatura cruised into third with a 53-25 beating of Benalla, while Seymour nailed down fourth spot thanks to a nine-goal triumph against Shepparton United.

Shepparton Swans nabbed its second victory of the season, toppling Rochester by 30 goals, while Mansfield got off the mark with a 60-37 win over Kyabram.