Warrnambool Rangers will be bolstered by the return of three key players for their heavyweight clash against Daylesford and Hepburn United on Sunday.
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The Ballarat and District Soccer Association's reigning premiers carved out a 1-1 draw against eighth-placed Bacchus Marsh after playing without Ryan Bail (hamstring), Clinton Demartin and Tyler Seabrook (unavailable).
Bail and Demartin had scored 20 of the Rangers' 36 goals for the season, but Tom Cowling's strike at the 29-minute mark was enough for the Cameron Pyke-led side to come home with one point and maintain its spot on top of the ladder.
"Tom Cowling is the barometer for our side," Pyke said.
"He was man of the match, with his goal the product of a really good moment of individual brilliance dribbling past several players and beating the keeper."
Darcy Johnstone and Isaac Osborn assumed the strikers' roles in the absence of Bail and Demartin.
Meanwhile, Max Naylor and Keegan Picken slotted into the wings and applied pressure to the Bacchus Marsh defence.
Pyke said he was satisfied with result given the Rangers only took 13 players to Masons Lane and Liam Priestley and Jacob Keilar carried injuries.
"Bacchus were a surprisingly well-drilled team," he said.
"They kept the game closer with short, simple passes that put us on the back foot."
But he said more would be needed to claim three points against the league's second-ranked side at Jones Oval.
"We should be back to full strength and it's going to be all hands on deck," Pyke said.
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