In front of a strong home crowd and with consecutive wins on the line, the Saints came agonisingly close to taking home the four points against Shepparton Swans, however it was the visitors that had the final say, kicking the final goal of the contest to hand Benalla a 9.12 (66) to 10.9 (69) loss.
In a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout, Benalla made the early running at Benalla Showgrounds, capitalising on their opportunities in a scrappy opening term.
Goals to Tom Bennett and Michael Mummery helped the Saints to a three-point lead at quarter time, as Shepparton struggled to convert their chances despite generating forward entries.
The Saints extended that advantage in the second quarter, with Sam Begley, Mummery and senior debutant Max Smyth all hitting the scoreboard as Benalla began to take control.
While the Swans responded through James Auld, who was lively in attack, and Christian Georgiou, they were again left to rue missed opportunities.
At half time, Benalla maintained the narrow three-point lead in what had been a closely fought contest.
Shepparton lifted after the main break, producing their most effective passage of play in the third term as goals to Will Dwyer and Auld sparked the Swans, while Kade Anderson added two crucial majors as they began to turn the momentum.
Despite Mummery continuing to be a focal point up forward for Benalla, the Swans’ increased pressure and improved ball movement allowed them to edge in front heading into the final quarter.
With the game on the line, the Shepparton outfit put down a significant marker in the contest early in the closing term, as Max Bicknell gave the Swans an 11-point lead with the opening goal of the quarter.
Benalla refused to surrender quietly, though, with Mitchell Vasterink and Cooper Gracie both hitting the scoreboard to take back the advantage, before Swan Nathan Rachele sunk the dagger into Saints hearts, booting the final goal of the contest to hand the visitors the three-point victory.
While the three-point loss may seem like another strong step in the right direction for the Saints, who have shown plenty of progress already under new coach Nick Pearson following some tough times recently, the senior mentor wasn’t overly happy with the effort.
Posting his reflections to the club’s Facebook page on Sunday, Pearson decried the group’s intensity, with the performance not reflective of the standards that Benalla have set for themselves.
“We didn’t deserve to win, so it’s no surprise we didn’t,” the post read.
“We were second to the ball and lacked intensity. The numbers don’t lie - there are 11 pressure stat categories, and we lost every single one of them. Our efficiency was well below what a winning performance looks like.
“I’m not mincing my words - ‘honourable losses’ are just a polite way of saying you lost. We won’t accept mediocrity. We’ve set a standard over the past seven months, and yesterday wasn’t it.
“We’ll lick our wounds and get back to work. The boys are resilient, and they’ll bounce back with vengeance. It’s not the fact we lost that’s most frustrating - it’s that we didn’t look like ourselves.”
David Mennen was named the best for the Saints in the loss, his fourth mention from five game as he continues his brilliant start to the year, while Mummery (four goals), Mark Marriott, Ryley Ely and Charlie McCarthy were also influential.
There was some cause for celebration for the Saints despite the defeat, however, with skipper Chris Welsh celebrating his 150th senior game for the club, doing so with 26 disposals and six clearances.
Benalla will have the opportunity to respond this Saturday when it takes on Tatura at Tatura Park.
THE GAME
Scores
Benalla: 2.1, 5.5, 7.9, 9.12 (66)
Shepp Swans: 1.4, 4.8, 8.9, 10.9 (69)
Goals
Benalla: Michael Mummery 4, Sam Begley, Tom Bennett, Cooper Gracie, Max Smyth, Mitchell Vasterink
Shepp Swans: Kade Anderson, James Auld, Nathan Rachele 2, Max Bicknell, Joeve Cooper, Will Dwyer, Harrison Mazzella
Best
Benalla: David Mennen, Michael Mummery, Mark Marriott, Ryley Ely, Charlie McCarthy
Shepp Swans: Max Clohesy, Kade Dwyer, Ethan Warburton, Oliver Warburton, Quade Johnstone
