The top three look set, but the race to make the Pascoe Cup top five looks set to go down to the wire in one of the closest finals races in years.
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Hanwood and Lake Albert remain level on points after 4-1 and 9-0 wins over Wagga United and Cootamundra respectively, with the Griffith club holding top spot on goal difference with two rounds left.
Sixth-placed Young (25) points kept their finals hopes alive with a 1-all draw at Leeton (28), who have leapfrogged Wagga United (28) into fourth spot on goal difference.
Hanwood took just three minutes to take the lead over Wagga United at Rawlings Park on Sunday, thanks to an unmarked header off a corner from Brad Clark.
The Crows levelled things when youngster Kein Crevatin executed a superb finish off a header in the 26th minute.
But Hanwood's class, and United's inability to retain the ball at times in defence, soon told with Michael Cimador squeezing a shot under the keeper seven minutes later to restore their lead.
A penalty from Michael Musitano and a tap-in by Danny Johnson secured all three points for Hanwood, before Wagga United scored a consolation through Lincoln Weir.
"It was good to get a few goals (after a lean period). I'm not too happy about the two we conceded but it was a good, open game," Hanwood coach Anthony Agresta said.
"They probably could have had a penalty (when Nazar Yousif was brought down in the second half) but we're happy with the three points.
"We knew the other results would probably go the way they did over the weekend and we'd have to do the business (to keep top spot)."
Agresta said he was happy with how his side overcame its first test without suspended key player Andy Gamble, who was handed a five game ban this week.
"Matt Napoli filled in at the back (for Gamble) today, we've got some guys who can play anywhere," he said.
"Danny (Johnson) is usually a centre half and we put him up front and he scored. It gives us some versatility where we can move people around and change formation."
Now out of the running for a top three spot, Wagga United must now try and fend off Leeton or Young to make finals.
They rolled the dice by throwing centre back Lincoln Weir up front for the back end of the game, but couldn't prevent Hanwood from scoring.
"It's just one of those days you put the cue back in the rack, go to training and the good thing is the season isn't over," Wagga United coach Travis Weir said.
"It's tough to take and I don't think 4-2 was a fair scoreline, we thought we deserved something out of the game.
"The most pleasing thing is we were down 4-1 and the boys kept going. That's the character the boys have.
"We don't want to be conceding goals the way we are, because we seem to give ourselves a hard time every week."
Young will fancy making up the necessary ground given they finish with bottom four sides Tumut and South Wagga. Leeton faces a tough task against top two teams Hanwood and Lake Albert, while Wagga United take on Lake Albert and Tolland.
In other results Henwood Park virtually sewed up third spot with a 6-0 rout of Tolland, Ben Matthews scored four goals in Lake Albert's 9-0 belting of Cootamundra and Murray Barrat bagged a hat-trick in Tumut's 6-1 thrashing of South Wagga.
PASCOE CUP RESULTS - ROUND 16
HANWOOD 4 (Brad Clark, Michael Musitano, Michael Cimador, Daniel Johnson) def WAGGA UNITED 2 (Kein Crevatin, Lincoln Weir); YOUNG 1 (Alex Mitchell) drew with LEETON UNITED 1 (Conor Edenden); HENWOOD PARK 6 (Matt Menser 2, Ryan McKenzie 2, Ned Evans, Chris Ozcowski) def TOLLAND 0; LAKE ALBERT 9 (Ben Matthews 4, Connor Hinchcliffe, Kane Baumer, Ben Mavor, Emilio Donebus, own goal) def COOTAMUNDRA 0; TUMUT 6 (Murray Barrat 3, Rhys Creed 2, Daniel French) def SOUTH WAGGA 1 (Mazban Sulaiman).
LEONARD CUP RESULTS - ROUND 16
JUNEE 1 (Kaithlyn Buck) drew with WAGGA UNITED 1 (Catherine Fsadni); COOTAMUNDRA won via forfeit over LEETON UNITED; TOLLAND 5 (Niki Arevalo 3, Lizzie Read, Abbey Gillogly) def HANWOOD 3 (Jorja Heffer 2, Tara Ceccato)
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