South Bendigo had to unleash a desperate seven-goal last quarter burst to break free of a tenacious Kangaroo Flat on Saturday.
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On their home deck at Dower Park, the Roos were within two kicks at the last change after trailing by a meagre four points at half-time.
But sparked by dynamic midfielders Isaiah Miller and Michael Herlihy with playing coach Nathan Horbury also constantly busy, the Bloods booted 7.1 to 1.4 in the run home to win by 46 points.
South needed a percentage boost to keep in touch with fifth-placed Eaglehawk at the 2022 season's halfway mark and their final term blitz bolstered their percentage by 6.24 per cent to 101.16 per cent.
So that final quarter romp might be, when we look back at the end of August, a significant round as South rolled home 13.15 (93) to 6.11 (47).
With a brisk four-goal breeze blowing to the scoreboard end, the Roos led at the quarter-time break, but perhaps should have established a bigger margin.
Key forward Lachy Wilson booted his two goals for the match by the 20-minute mark of the opening term - the first just 40 seconds into the game.
- READ MORE: Saturday Scoreboard
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The Bloods got going in the second term but found Roo full-back Ryan O'Keefe hard to pass at the scoreboard end.
Twice O'Keefe hauled in strong marks close to the goal square and it took clever body work from Kaiden Antonowicz to break clear of the Roos' defence to land two majors, handing South a slender lead at half-time.
The Roos battled on doggedly in the third quarter adding 2.3 with South spraying a lot of shots wide as they piled on 3.6.
Normally a half-back, Nick Keogh marked a long kick from Liam Collins to drill a Roo major and narrow the margin to five points before Lachlan Furness and Brock Harvey extended South's lead.
And then the Bloods exploded as the final term opened. Harvey and Jesse Sheahan sent set shots through the big sticks inside the first four minutes.
A pinpoint pass from Horbury found Antonowicz 35 metres out for the South forward's third major with a low, flat shot.
Keck marked unguarded on his own inside the goal square, followed by a set shot from 30 metres out by Isaiah Miller.
But the best was still to come. Pacy winger Oscar White soared high, sandwiched between two Roo defenders on the clubrooms flank, to haul in the mark of the day.
White's major was South's seventh of the final term and handed s his side a comfortable victory.
Bloods' coach Nathan Horbury said the club had a big block of games coming up.
"Square and Eaglehawk will be huge games for us in the next two weeks, but hopefully we'll get a few players back," he said.
"Fingers crossed we'll get midfielder Liam Byrne back for the Eaglehawk game, with (defender) Daniel Nalder also returning in a few weeks.
"It's an eight-point game coming up for us against Golden Square this coming Saturday and it's always a tough ask to win out there," Horbury said.
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