NEWCASTLE City secured what could prove to be a valuable four points in the race for the Black Diamond Cup finals with a 57-point win over Maitland on Saturday.
In one of two catch-up games at the weekend, City 15.12 (102) outclassed the Saints 6.9 (45) at Max McMahon Oval in Rutherford.
Mitchell Crawford had his best game of the year, kicking six goals to help City claim their fifth win this season and jump into outright fourth.
Moving a win clear of fifth-placed Warners Bay, City now have the upper hand on the side they will likely vying with to secure fourth spot and qualify for the finals. The two teams have similar runs home, both facing Terrigal Avoca twice, but City have an extra game to play.
On the Central Coast, Killarney Vale 3.5 (23) continued their unbeaten run, defeating Terrigal Avoca 2.4 (16) in atrocious conditions at Hylton Moore Oval.
The game was played in driving rain with players slipping over almost every time they contested the ball.
Due to the low-scoring affair, the match was in the balance right up until full-time.
Killarney Vale led 15-10 at the start of the fourth quarter and then scored two behinds before Terrigal Avoca full-forward Harrison Pitt kicked his second goal of the game to reduce the deficit to only a point at 17-16 with 10 minutes left to play.
But seconds before full-time, Killarney Vale's Ryan Arthur scooped up a loose ball off the water-logged turf and kicked a goal to ensure victory. It was the Bombers' ninth win this season and second over the Panthers after beating them in May for the first time since 2010.
The conditions of Saturday's game likely ruined seeing the best of the two sides but with a 12-point buffer at the top of the table, Killarney Vale appear the firm favourites for the title this season.
