It was boys versus men at Shepparton’s smurf turf as the hosts held post at the top courtesy of a 12-2 score line.
And as expected, the McBains were at the heart of it.
Xavier McBain slapped home five for the Strikers to rightly collect three votes, while James McBain tallied one after contributing two goals of his own.
New addition Nic Reilly dug in well, unearthing two goals on the day.
Also starring for the Strikers was Evan Collins, Lachlan Russell and Duncan Moodie, who rounded out the scoring to bury Echuca-Moama.
Troy Kenny and Thomas Kerr were River Rats’ consolatory scorers.
However, Mooroopna ‘s triumph was night and day in comparison.
The Cats were made to work for their third win of the season, pushed right to the edge by Shepparton Youth Club in a 3-2 classic.
Despite a stern defensive effort, Ryan Davey, Michael Kelly and James Black were able to penetrate SYC’s backline and get Mooroopna over the line.
In B-men, a Haydn Uniacke masterclass had Strikers beat down Mooroopna 4-1 on Saturday.
Uniacke was at the races, hitting a hat-trick to add to Declan Nabbs’ goal which all but guaranteed Strikers a spot on the ladder’s top rung.
Sunday belonged to SYC, as it ground out a 2-1 result over Echuca-Moama.
A 2-0 victory for Strikers in B-women capped a comprehensive day for the club’s senior sides.
Eloise Collins and Sally Hayes were on the money against Benalla, hitting the back of the net to push their side into third.
Elsewhere, Mooroopna held on to poach a 2-1 win over SYC, while Echuca-Moama picked apart Euroa 13-0.
In the junior grades, Scott Park’s haul of three goals spearheaded the Rivers Rats’ 8-0 belting of GVGS in under-17s at Echuca College.
Meanwhile, Max Cole was the difference for SYC-Strikers against Mooroopna-Benalla.
In under-14s, GVGS and Strikers had wins over Echuca-Moama and SYC respectively, and SYC and GVGS reigned supreme in half-field action.
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