OVENS and Murray Football League premier Yarrawonga will enter the final three rounds of the season as no certainty of being able to defend its title.

Article first appeared: 11 August 2007   Herald Sun

After a bye for all clubs last weekend, the O & M resumes hostilities with Yarrawonga under pressure from new flag favourite Wangaratta and a resurgent North Albury.

Yarrawonga plays Corowa-Rutherglen tomorrow before finishing the season with critical matches against North Albury and Wangaratta.

After ending a 17-year premiership drought last year, Yarrawonga was a raging favourite to win back-to-back flags, but its form this season has been far from inspiring.

The Pigeons already shaky confidence took a battering last round when they lost to Wodonga, which needed a victory to keep alive its finals chances.

Yarrawonga was missing VCFL representative Marcus McMillan due to suspension and Scott Oswald, the best player on the ground in the O & M's inter-league win against Goulburn Valley early this season.

Both return tomorrow and Oswald's brother Lance is making a late bid to overcome the foot injury he suffered in the inter-league game.

"We have a lot of soul searching to do and at this stage we've got a lot of guys who want to get to heaven, but not too many who want to die to get there," Yarrawonga coach Peter Seymour said after his team's latest loss.

"We've got a fair bit of work ahead of us. We are definitely not in a slump.

"We've just got to be playing as well as we possibly can at the right time and at the moment we are not. A lot of questions have to be asked."

Wangaratta is on target to finish the home-and-away season on top for the first time since 1980.

After finishing ninth last year, the Magpies last lost in Round 7 against today's opponent, Albury.

North Albury plays Wodonga in the other match today that will influence the make-up of the top five.