By Lachlan Onions
WITH just four games left in the Mid South Eastern football season, the pressure is on and the finals race is set to head down to the wire.
At this stage of the season, every win is vital especially for the teams between third and fifth, where one win separates Port MacDonnell, Mount Burr and Robe on the ladder.
NANGWARRY v KALANGADOO
The Saints will host the Magpies in the clash between first and ninth on the ladder.
Kalangadoo enters the game off the back of an impressive win over Mount Burr in Round 14 and will likely claim a similar result on Saturday.
When these two sides last met in Round 6, the Magpies claimed a resounding 198-point win.
Kalangadoo kicked 25 goals in the second half alone in a game where the hosts were rarely challenged.
Michael Krieger starred in the forward line with 10 goals, while Pat Davies was player of the match with six goals and a strong performance in the middle.
However, the Magpies will be without Davies, who will be in action in the in the South Australia Country v Western Australia Country game at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Andrew Hyland has been a key player for Nangwarry this season with 48 goals for the campaign, which included five goals in the Saints famous win in Round 10.
The Magpies will win this game comfortably and will remain four points ahead of Hatherleigh on the ladder.
HATHERLEIGH v GLENCOE
Hatherleigh will host Glencoe in Round 15 of Mid South Eastern football on Saturday.
The Murphies head into the game full of confidence after a strong run of form which has seen them move up to sixth on the ladder.
Glencoe has claimed big wins in its last three games but will be tested when it takes on Hatherleigh.
The Eagles have been one of the most dangerous sides in the league this season and have claimed 10 wins from 12 games.
Hatherleigh has won its last three games by more than 100 points and will look to continue its form to keep the pressure on Kalangadoo at the top.
The Eagles have a wide-range of options in attack which has been evident in recent weeks with the likes of Sam Telfer, Patrick Chay and Brad Mitchell all amongst the goals.
However, by the time players hit the field for the first bounce on Saturday, it would have been three weeks since the Eagles last played and the Murphies will be eager to expose any potential cobwebs within the side.
Back in Round 6, Hatherleigh claimed an emphatic 67-point win over Glencoe in a dominant performance where the Murphies were restricted to just eight points in the first half.
With home-ground advantage, the Eagles will prove too strong and should comfortably defeat Glencoe again.
ROBE v PORT MACDONNELL
In the match of the round, the Roosters will host the Demons in a clash which could have major ramifications for whichever side fails to come away with the four points.
Port MacDonnell is third on the ladder with eight wins from 12 games, while Robe is fifth with seven wins from 12 games.
The two teams are separated by Mount Burr, who has played 13 games and won eight of them.
With a bye for the Mozzies this weekend, the finals picture will become clearer in what will be a tight race with three teams fighting for just two spots.
When these sides played at the Bay in Round 6, the Roosters claimed a four-point win.
The game was a back and forth contest as the lead changed at each break and Robe came from seven points down at the last change to defeat Port MacDonnell.
Tom Wachtel was the player of the match with a strong performance in the ruck and will look to have a similar impact when these two sides meet again.
Kev Thomson led the goalkickers with five majors during the last clash and has kicked 31 for the season.
This clash poses itself as an evenly-matched game which will go down to the wire and both sides will be confident they can claim the vital four points.
TANTANOOLA v KONGORONG
The Tigers will look to move up from eighth on the ladder when it hosts the Hawks on Saturday.
Kongorong has impressed over the last two rounds with a dominant display against Nangwarry and a strong performance against Robe, where it was defeated by 21 points after it led at three-quarter-time.
The Tigers on the other hand, have been on a difficult run of form and have lost their last seven games.
Tantanoola’s last win came when it played Kongorong in Round 6.
The Tigers got off to a strong start and led by 23 points at the first break.
By the end of the third quarter, Tantanoola led by 34 points but the Hawks fought back in the final quarter and kept the Tigers scoreless in the final term.
However, it was not enough as Tantanoola claimed a 17-point win.
Jordan Hatt was player of the match for the Tigers, while Jack Dawe and Brandon Pitts both kicked three goals.
Marty Von Stanke was best on ground for Kongorong, with Aaron Lightbody second-best.
Scott Fleming will look to continue his recent form in the forward line when the Hawks take on the Tigers.
This is another game which will be a close contest but Kongorong should have just enough strength to defeat Tantanoola.
