READ MORE - Golden Square v Eaglehawk photos
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FIVE unanswered goals either side of half-time provided Golden Square the ascendancy it needed to outlast Eaglehawk in their BFNL match on Saturday.
Wearing a heritage guernsey on a day in which the club held its first Hall of Fame induction, the Bulldogs prevailed 11.15 (81) to 10.11 (71) at Wade Street in a pivotal game between two top-three aspirants.
Both sides had gone into the clash 4-1, but it was the Bulldogs who established a one-game buffer inside the top three as they ended a run of four losses in a row against the reigning premier Hawks.
The first half was one marred by missed opportunities from both sides.
The goalkicking yips seemed to spread through the Golden Square side like the flu as it one stage had 2.12 on the board during the second quarter.
And Eaglehawk also failed to capitalise on a number of opportunities as the Hawks had three shots at goal in the first nine minutes of the game at the Cathedral end sail out of bounds on the full.
However, the Bulldogs were able to find their radar with back-to-back goals to Jayden Burke and Alex Marklew - key pillars in a dangerous Square forward line - to help turn what had been a nine-point deficit during the second term into a four-point advantage at half-time, 4.12 to 4.8, in what had been a scrap of a contest.
While the Bulldogs struggled with their goalkicking in the first half, down the other end the Hawks were plagued by poor entries inside 50.
READ MORE - Saturday scoreboard
The Hawks also had their share of trouble trying to pierce through the Bulldogs' well-drilled press from kick-ins. As a result Golden Square was able to generate repeat scores - albeit more that missed than went through the big sticks.
The Bulldogs' lead grew to a game-high 25 points when they kicked the first three goals of the third quarter through Adam Baird, Burke and returning Travis Baird as the warning bells were sounding for the Hawks.
However, the Hawks were able to lift with the game in danger of slipping away and three-consecutive goals, which included one to Sam Harper after he was the recipient of a 50m penalty following late contact from Sam Brinsmead after he marked on the wing, had Eaglehawk back within seven points.
A steadying goal late when Ryan Hartley marked a floating kick from Tom Walters unopposed gave the Bulldogs back a 13-point advantage at three quarter-time, but the match was far from done given the way the Hawks have finished games off this year.
Crucially, though, the Bulldogs kicked the pivotal first goal of the final term when Justin Cooper used his explosive pace to have two bounces and then drill a checkside to extend Square's lead to 19 points.
Just as they had done in the third quarter though when staring down the gauntlet, the Hawks came again and this time got within a kick with two goals in a row to Shaun Knott and Sean Williams, who launched a 55m kick that sailed through.
But despite being peppered by forward 50 entries over the final 20 minutes, the Bulldogs' defence held firm under pressure as Square kicked two of the final three goals of the match to prevail.
The Bulldogs' desperation late was highlighted by winning three holding the ball free kicks in their defensive 50 in the final five minutes, one of which was when Cooper laid a tackle on Sean Williams as he was about to launch at goal that could have closed the Hawks to within four points.
Midfielders Liam Barrett and Adam Baird and defenders Jon Coe and Will Lee led the best for the Bulldogs, while the Hawks were best served by the hard-working Jesse Collins though the middle and off half-back, on-baller Dillon Williams and defender Brenton Conforti in his first game of the season.
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