Bonnie Doon held off another challenge in Ovens and King A grade netball on the weekend, successfully defending their home court against fellow contenders Tarrawingee.

It was a scintillating contest, but at the end of four quarters, the bombers were 15 goals to the good, 58-43.

The stage was set for a gripping contest, given the Bombers had enjoyed a relatively cushy section of the draw, with no matches against likely finals teams for well over a month.

However, the reigning premiers showed their class early, striking out to an early lead and maintaining their consistency for the rest of the match.

Tarrawingee’s star shooter Kaylee Allan was kept relatively subdued by the Bombers’ defence, managing just 26 goals at 70 per cent accuracy, while her opposite number Amy Starzer put through 41 goals at 82 per cent.

Coach Cass McCormack said it was always pleasing to knock off a fellow top five team.

“We were really happy with the result,” she said.

“It was probably one of our best team performances for the year — all eight players went out, did their job and played their role, and that’s what got us the result.

“Bec Watson and Cass Curtin, in her 200th game, combined really well in the defensive ring.

“It was a combination of pressure out the front disrupting the feed and forcing different options for Tarra’s shooters.

“We rebounded strongly when we got the opportunity and stayed disciplined for the full four quarters.

“At the other end, our attack was really tidy and we were able to reward the defensive pressure by finishing off our turnovers, which was really pleasing.

“There’s always areas to improve, but we will be working on continuing a genuine full-court team effort, staying composed, sticking to our game plan for the full four quarters.”

The Bombers maintain their game-and-a-half lead on third-placed Goorambat, with an absolute blockbuster against Greta in their immediate future.

“We’re looking forward to this week’s game against Greta,” McCormack said.

“Last time we played them, we didn't play four quarters of netball, and we also were missing Bec Watson, so it will be good to see how it plays out.”

In other A grade netball matches, Whorouly continued their unbeaten streak with a commanding 74-25 win over North Wangaratta.

Goorambat survived a scare up the mountain against Bright, with the Bats taking the win by a narrow margin, 25-23, keeping their hopes for a top two finish still burning.

Elsewhere, Greta hammered King Valley 53-30, and Milawa beat Benalla All Blacks 44-35.

The home and away season is now three-quarters complete, with just five matches left before finals.