by Davyd Reid
Yarragon have kept in touch with the Ellinbank District football top five, scoring a plucky victory over a Catani side that has been highly competitive this season.
The Blues, who opened the season with two victories to sit within the top five, again threatened to pull another victory off before the Panthers stepped up when it counted.
The Blues drew within seven points in the final term with a boil over very much on the cards, given the Panthers had been consigned to just one player on the bench.
Led again by big recruit Braydon Preuss, the Panthers stood up when it counted to kick away and win 13-17 (95) to 10-6 (66).
Yarragon had held a narrow lead throughout the contest, with new Blues coach Ray Pickering appearing to bring a competitive edge to the side.
A see-sawing opening term saw the Panthers score the final major of the first term, to head to the first break with a narrow two-goal margin.
While it had proved an open first term that realised five goals to three, the contest tightened with the same five goals to three across the next two periods.
Goals to Liam Hetherington and Riley McLeod pulled the margin to within seven-points, threatening a Panthers side with just one on the bench.
Brodie White, Josh Stewart, James Williams, Julian Suarez, Aaron Knight and McLeod were leading a Blues push for victory.
The Panthers were able to ice the game with the final three majors, scoring an important result in their ambitions to climb the ladder.
Nathan Mazza, Preuss, Nick Burr, Riley Kop, Robert Hermann and Jack Symes led the way when it counted for Yarragon.