By James Wong

A draw usually leaves fans disappointed and two coaches upset but the 31-31 contest played out by Moorabbin and Power House on Saturday could have important finals implications in the Dewar Shield competition.

Both teams were coming off their biggest wins of the season. Moorabbin having defeated Endeavour Hills to capture fourth spot on the ladder, and Power House fresh off a one point upset of Box Hill that threw them right into the hunt for a finals spot.

The day ended with each team picking up three points, and with Endeavour Hills losing to Footscray, just five points separate the three teams fighting for the last finals spot with five rounds to play.

Moorabbin coach Justin Carroll said the game was one that got away for the Rams.

“It was one we really let slip, we probably dominated all facets of the game, particularly in our set piece we were really good and our defensive line was really good.

“The good thing for us was that we got a bonus point, so we got three points and other results went our way too.”

The turning point in the game came shortly before half time. Moorabbin had a defensive lineout go wrong and when Power House pounced on a loose ball in the in-goal Moorabbin’s 17-5 lead was cut to 17-12 going into the break.

“That gave them a bit of momentum, then it was to-and-fro in the second half where they’d score, then we’d score,” said Carroll.

Carroll praised the efforts of his team; in particular, prop Noa Noa and flyhalf Patolo Toeta.

“The boys dug in well, they fought really hard and defended really well.

“Noa was outstanding again, and Pat controlled the game really well. We didn’t really have a bad player on the park.”

Moorabbin play Melbourne this weekend and Carroll said he thinks the Rams are well placed to make a finals push.

“The good thing for us is that we’re really building that momentum. If we can continue with the form we’ve showed we’re really confident we can put in a good performance this Saturday against the Unicorns and that will lead us into the final push towards the semis.

“It’s up to us now to fulfill the promise that we showed at the start of the year and we’ve gradually built to it, which is great.”

Power House next play Endeavour Hills and can overtake Moorabbin on the table with a win and a Rams loss.