You would be excused for thinking Dederang-Mount Beauty are in the hunt for finals, if the last two rounds of senior football results are any indication.

Unfortunately for the 12th-placed Bombers, who despite another ultra-competitive team performance, have suffered another narrow defeat at the hands of Thurgoona by 19 points last Saturday, 7.6 (48) to 10.7 (67).

With football back again in the familiar surroundings of Dederang, the Bulldogs kicked the first three goals of the game, but the Bombers bit back with two of their own to trail by seven.

Thanks to a team-lifting goal from playing assistant and best on ground Nick Iaria, the home side briefly hit the lead before Thurgoona showed their class in difficult conditions by six of the next eight goals across the second and third quarter to take a comfortable lead into the final huddle with a quarter to go.

Despite the deficit, the Bombers never gave in – they managed to gain some ascendancy in general play and kicked the game’s final two goals to give them some momentum heading into their next clash.

Leaders Josh Kable and Logan Hamilton were influential around the ground, while Ben Ozolins, Tom McGhee and Sam Bakes had their say on the contest with important contributions.

The Bombers’ seven goals were kicked by seven individual goalkickers.

In their current form and going by recent results across the league, Dederang-Mount Beauty’s next two matches against Beechworth (eighth) and Mitta United (ninth) could well lead to a victory or two.

On the adjacent courts, Dederang Mount Beauty’s A grade netballers almost caused their own monumental upset against probable finalist Thurgoona in a nail-biting eight-goal loss.

While the scoreboard read 35-43 at the end of four gruelling quarters in unsavoury weather, the Bombers forced their higher-credentialed opponents into turnovers, and pushed the Bulldogs to the brink.

DMB’s mainstay goal shooter Audrey Barker was the court’s dominant goaler with 29 successful attempts.

Only two competition points separate Beechworth (ninth) and Dederang-Mount Beauty (10th) ahead of this week’s battle at Baarmutha Park, with both teams eyeing off a rise up the ladder with a win on Saturday.