It’s taken until late July, but the Goulburn Valley League witnessed its first draw of the senior competition this season when the Tigers trekked to the High Country to meet an in-form Mansfield on its back paddock.
Rochester, having only just scraped past Euroa by three points in its previous hit-out, had a task on its hand taking on an unbeaten-in-seven Eagles unit.
And as the final score read 8.10 (58) to 9.4 (58), it marked a magnificent turnaround from the hosts.
Rochester shot out to a commanding first-quarter lead, kicking five goals, while Mansfield gunslinger Billy Hogan booted his side’s only major of the opening term.
The Tigers continued on with the first two goals of the second quarter — but the Eagles soon swung the tide.
Will Foster, Jack Hutchins and Nick Gray converted three goals in a row for Mansfield to drag the host within 16 points and, while spectators may have anticipated a raging third exchange, what followed was anything but that.
A dour term was punctuated by a sole major, slotted by Eagle Benjamin Reardon, seeing Mansfield creep ever closer to hunting down Rochester’s score.
Another Mansfield salvo saw the host hit the front for the first time all game and when the buffer broke out to 10 points with 10 minutes to play, the Eagles perhaps thought they were home and dry.
Rochester soon put that to bed, though.
The Tigers ripped back the lead to remain in front by a point and, in a tense turn of events to end the match, a Mansfield behind put a full stop to a game soaked in drama.
Rochester’s Hugh Hamilton kicked a game-high three majors, while Ryan O’Keefe and Dylan Gordan starred for the side in black and yellow.
On the Eagles’ front, Gray was a clear standout alongside Matthew King.
Only four points now separates the third-ranked Tigers and fourth-placed Mansfield and with both sides destined to play finals, Saturday’s fixture may repeat itself when the pointy end arrives.
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