Lancaster has a date with Nagambie at Stanhope in the second week of the finals.
The Wombats outclassed the home side by 78 points at Stanhope on Saturday in a dominant and ominous display.
Stanhope slipped to sixth after the loss, replaced in fifth spot by Dookie United, and now meets Murchson-Toolamba in an elimination final at Violet Town on Saturday (August 26.)
Lancaster dominated in most positions with Coby O’Neill, who kicked two goals, a standout in the ruck while prime movers in Cam Simpson, Noah Sewell and Sam Spedding were in the thick of it for most of the game.
Up forward, Jake Mills (six goals) and Zed Besim (three) put the finishing touches on their work.
Nic McAuliffe led the Lancaster defence, which leaked only four goals for the game, in inspiring fashion but it was an ominous team effort going into the finals.
Consistent Stanhope players Jye Adamson, who kicked two of Stanhope’s only four goals, Craig Emmett and Adam Lovison tried hard to rally their teammates with little support.
Nathan O’Reilly, Rhys Smith and Jonathan Pearson got a bit of the Sherrin but the home side was always playing catch-up footy against the impressive reigning premier.
Lancaster coach Tom Davies said some senior players were rested for the Stanhope game and the Wombats should be at full strength for their first finals tilt.
* Stanhope has played Murchison-Toolamba only once this season, a low-scoring affair at Murchison Recreation Reserve in round 11.
The Lions trailed by 37 points at half-time, despite the work of Layne Baker and Jonathan Pearson in the mid-field.
They kicked two goals to Murchison-Toolamba’s one after half-time, the combine kicking 1.8 to eventually win by 31 points.
Tomas Rennis, who has finished the home-and-away season with 61 goals, was kept to one goal in that match as only Rhys Smith and Darcy Keck kicked managed to trouble the scorer.
A match-up between James Llloyd, who has kicked 64 goals for the year, and key Stanhope defender Adam Lovison will be a highlight of the match.
* A week later, Lancaster and Nagambie will meet for a second time this year after the Wombats were 56-point winners on home ground in round eight.
Goalkicker Pat Rattray didn’t play in that match and his off-sider William Dalton (45 goals this season) was kept goalless.
Rattray has kicked 23 goals in six games and has taken the pressure off Dalton, ruckman Jono Moore and Tom Barnes, who has hit the end of the season in great form.
