It was an arm wrestle, and then it was a game of momentum.
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And as the Deniliquin under-17 football side had done across the Murray Football League’s thirds finals series, it capitalised on such momentum.
Defensive strategy dominated the opening half, with an ignited crowd raving for each run down holding the ball free kick and courageous back with the flight mark and spoil.
Despite early Rams territory, Moama’s first forward 50 entry brought a goal, coming from Aiden Anderson.
After a series of free kicks and 50m penalties, Deniliquin’s Luke Moorse kicked truly from a set shot 30m out to put the Rams in the goal tally.
Moama squeezed a behind to finish the term, with scores level at 1.1 (7) apiece.
A goal each occurred again in the second term, with a dazzling evasive play by the Rams’ Tom Murray the term’s highlight, but at half-time, Moama edged to a one-point lead, 2.2 (14) to 2.1 (13).
While Moama kicked the first of the third term, Deniliquin suddenly surged.
Individual brilliance by the Rams’ Spencer Cowley saw the key forward-ruck unit grab the ball from an inside 50 ruck contest and slam a snap around the body immediately for a team lifting goal.
Cowley’s vice-like hands were important mere minutes later as he clunked a contested mark and booted the Sherrin through to put Deniliquin ahead by two.
A third consecutive goal, this time coming from Henry Robinson, put the lead out to more than one straight kick for the first time all game, the blue and yellow playing with serious momentum in its search for a seventh-straight win that would produce a premiership.
The Rams took every attacking chance they could with possession, epitomised by Oscar Wren taking an intercept mark and instead of settling, took the game on immediately with a chiselling pass to Max Burge who nailed Deniliquin’s fourth in a row as three-quarter-time arrived, the Rams ahead 3.5 (23) to 6.1 (37).
But Moama headed to the scoring end in the last and found a quick spark through Frederick Peat.
The comeback was on, or at least Moama’s Jack Millar sure believed so.
The Moama small forward showed massive nerves of steel to snap a second goal in a row for the Mowers and close the margin to within a kick and, seconds later, the Mowers entered inside 50 again and hit the front.
It was a tsunami wave of scoring from the black and white.
But the defensive floodgates had opened for both sides.
This time, Deni found a kick inside 50, and it resulted in a sizzling opportune moment from Logan Elphick.
Moama then took another centre clearance for a resulting set shot on goal, although Dickinson missed, but he found the football yet again no longer than a minute later to make amends and secure a five-point advantage with seven minutes to play.
Yet, the football gods beamed in Deniliquin’s favour.
Somehow the Rams found more life again, and it was through Elphick, who snagged a goal while tackled to the deck and followed it with a strong mark and set shot goal.
It was Deni’s day, the latter major the match-winner to seal an eight-point victory, 7.6 (48) to 9.2 (56).
Deniliquin coach Harry Hillier lauded his side’s ‘character’ after a monumental charge to premiership glory from fourth with an 11-6-1 record.
“We’ve had injuries and had to face a bit of adversity through the season,” Hillier said.
“That’s been the story of our finals campaign, just the character.
“Every time we’ve been challenged, we’ve responded.
“The last six weeks, the boys really bought in and believed, and they never gave up.”