GOLDEN Square maintained its amazing string of successes over Kangaroo Flat with a one-kick win over the Roos at Bendigo Mazda Oval on Good Friday.
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Down by seven points at the last change the Bulldogs peppered the scoreboard end goals although they managed only a wasteful 1.7.
![Dogs deny gallant Roos Dogs deny gallant Roos](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/shjDWP57NvFsN4SYJTNkJk/a91c56ff-fa73-4ca4-aaab-c57de5f18114.jpg/r0_0_600_400_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
But the resourceful Square defence held the Flat forwards scoreless in the last stanza to take home the four premiership points.
On a beautiful autumn afternoon and in front of a massive crowd the game never reached great heights with the Dogs easing home: 6.14 (50) to 6.8 (44).
Just a single goal was booted in the opening term and that didn’t come until the 23-minute mark. Flat’s Jordan Doherty, busy all afternoon, nailed a set shot after Square’s Will Lee was perhaps unluckily pinged for a sliding tackle.
Then the Square got going as the second term opened. Jordan Rosengren booted the first of his pair for the day, with dominant ruckman Matt Compston and Jake Thrum adding two more majors.
Flat kept pace as co-coach Corey Greer with an accurate snap from front and centre of a pack and Tom Holman, playing a loose man in defence, came downfield to slot through a 50m bomb.
When Andrew Cussen nailed another major after the half-time siren had sounded the Roos were suddenly two points ahead.
The Roos looked more enterprising than the Dogs slipping out to a 13-point third quarter lead after Doherty and Cussen had taken their individual goal tallies to two apiece.
But linkman Harry Donegan booted a vital Square major deep into time-on, curling back a snap at the Station Street end goals just seconds from siren time.
Donegan’s major slashed Flat’s lead to seven points.
The Roos were under pressure all fourth quarter. Square defenders Jon Coe and Michael Dalrymple kept pumping the ball back across centrefield but goals were hard to come by.
Blake Coyle’s attempted grubber goal slid through for a point, Rosengren’s set shot drifted off-line and midfielder-half-forward Rhys Mutch - who racked up 18 possessions and eight marks - was also off-line.
Finally Rosengren, with a high up-and-under set shot bomb, catapulted Square to the lead with the sole major of the last term.
Greer and Lloyd Needs tried to rally the Roos, but the Square defence held firm.
New Square coach Bernie Haberman was full of praise for the Flat’s effort.
“Basically I thought the Flat was the better side for three quarters and probably deserved to win the game.
“We certainly aren’t going to hand them the four points, but I thought we were outworked at the stoppages and they won the contested ball.”
Haberman praised his six defenders for their resilience.
“They were super and there’d only be a couple of times their opponents got a clear mark on them.”
Basically I thought the Flat was the better side for three quarters and probably deserved to win the game.