Diggers Rest maintained its unbeaten start to the 2016 Home and Away season with a testing eight-point win over Riddell.
The Burras trailed the Bombers by 14-points at half-time before kicking 3.9 to five behinds in the second half to record one of its best victories of the season.
Riddell went into the game without its two leading forwards, Brian Ruffell and James Nolan, while Diggers Rest missed Col Laurie.
Conditions were ideal at Riddell.
The Bombers started with Ben Sonogan in the forward line while 200 gamer Jason Allen lined up on former team mate and Burra utility Cam McCabe in a tight, physical match-up.
Riddell burst out of the blocks in the opening two minutes with a running goal from young gun Lachy Henson in the second minute of the game to open up an early lead.
Mark Freeth replied at the other end for Diggers Rest a few moments later in a free flowing start.
Diggers Rest pushed Tom Gleeson forward and he made an immediate impact, kicking an early goal, but it was the home team that did all the attacking, opening up a 19-point lead at the 20 minute mark of the term with a goal from Ben Said.
Riddell led by 13-points at quarter-time.
Gleeson and Brent Tuckey kicked back-to-back goals to reduce the gap to two-points as the ladder leaders mountained a challenge. Tuckey had a number of opportunities early in the first term but couldn't make the most of it, before becoming a force in the second stanza.
When Ben Said kicked his third goal of the game at the 20.5 minute mark of the term, the Bombers led by 14-points. This would be their last goal of the game.
With Michael Evans gaining momentum through the midfield in the second term and Andrew Tyquin winning the battle over Ben Sonogan, Diggers Rest launched into action in the third term, peppering the goals before hitting the front at the 14 minute mark.
Evans made a statement with a booming goal on the run from outside 50 to continue Diggers Rest's momentum.
For all of the Burra's dominance, Riddell was never out of the contest, especially on the scoreboard. Both teams missed a number of opportunities as scores were level at three-quarter time.
Evans added his third goal of the game at the 10 minute mark of the final term to handy the Burras a seven-point lead.
One of the great sportsman-like acts of the year occured when Brent Tuckey and Riddell's Jack Baker were involved in a courageous act with Baker coming off second best. Tuckey bounced to his feet while the play continued around him in his forward line, took out Baker's mouth guard and signalled to the bench.
Baker was fortunate to walk off the field as his team mates couldn't break the strength of the Burras who held on to win by eight-points.
Brayden Allen and Matt Panuccio impressed in the midfield for the Bombers, while Pat Jackson and Taylor Hine impressed for the winners.
"It was a good game, a top three spot was on the line for them and they certainly took it up to us for the best part of four quarters, " Diggers Rest's Cale Morton said after the game.
"To our credit, we stuck with them for 3.5 quarters and were able to get on top of them in the end."
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