The Eagles downed Benalla in what may have looked a simple win on paper, but a boisterous final quarter turned what was a fair first half into a back-end blowout, kicking five goals to seal a 55-point win.
Mansfield mentor Chad Owens said his side’s ability to run out games was an asset worth having given the nature of the competition.
“We were really happy with the win; the first half was probably a guide, and then we were able to keep grinding away and the game opened up in the last quarter,” he said.
“That was our goal at three-quarter time to kick seven, we thought we’d done enough work to open the game up and our goal was to really have a crack at the scoreboard in the last quarter.
“The boys are enjoying these tight tussles and then being able to find a way to win which is what we’ve done three weeks in a row, and we nearly did it in round one as well.
“We’ve won three and lost one by a goal, so our form’s good – it’s not outstanding, but it’s good.”
Mansfield was on song from the start, kicking 5.1 to Benalla’s 4.2 to set up the contest.
In a stingy second term both sides managed two majors apiece, but while the Saints trundled along at the same pace during the third, the Eagles opened the shoulders and swung hard to nail four goals and take the ascendancy.
Benalla was rocked by the blow, but what followed was nothing short of a heavyweight haymaker to the solar plexus.
Following Owens’ three-quarter time instruction, Mansfield let loose to rack up 36 points in stark comparison to the visitors’ one and shoot away with a 16.13 (109) to 8.6 (54) victory.
Five goals to Ben Christopher, who seems to have recaptured his 2022 form which amounted to 48 goals, stood out, while the reintroduction of midfield staple Brett Mahoney brought a smile to Owens’ face.
“It’s so good having Brett back, I love reading his name out on selection night,” he said.
“He’s such an important person around the footy club, on and off the field, so it’s so good to have him back out doing what he does really well.
“The longer the game went on during the weekend, the better he was getting.”
For Benalla, Nick and Josh Mellington combined for seven goals, while on-baller James Martiniello caught the umpires’ eyes.
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