'Half a second too late': Last-gasp goal attempt comes after the siren

The Bombers held on in a thriller after Reggie Mast's shot hit his boot just after the final siren sounded on Saturday, April 20.

The Bombers clung on for an 8.10 (58) to 7.13 (55) victory at home.

Warrnambool coach Dan O'Keefe said the umpire made the correct decision.

"The siren went and literally half-a-second later Reggie Mast snapped one that went through for a goal which would've been a win," he said.

"We were a couple of goals down going into the last quarter and we fought really hard and we won the last quarter.

"We had a couple of chances in the last five minutes - one got smothered and we had another shot on goal that just missed."

Cobden coach Brody Mahoney said it was a dramatic finish to the game and praised the umpires for making a quick, decisive call.

"It got a bit close for comfort in the end, another few seconds and they might have come through with the win," he said.

"We were lucky in the end. It was a bloody long quarter, it went for about 35 minutes.

"We have already identified areas where we could have done stuff a bit differently.

"Any of these wins early in the season is a bonus. Credit to Warrnambool, they played their footy in the first half and we came into it in the second half and were playing the way we want to play."

The only sour note for the Bombers was a suspected knee/lower leg injury to recruit Angus Uwland.

He will have a scan this week to confirm a diagnosis.

"He is pretty professional so he'll get it (a scan) done and not leave anything to chance," Mahoney said.

"He is really good by foot for us and really shores us up with his direction and skill."

Cobden recruits Sam Lucas, Tim Auckland and Patty Smith were the Bombers' best while Ben Berry and Michael Koroneos each kicked two goals for the winners.

"Big Sam down back took a lot of intercept marks for us," Mahoney said.

"Tim in the ruck went quite well again against Dan Weymouth. They are both quite crafty so it was a good battle."

O'Keefe said the Blues' overriding feeling was pride as they lost two midfielders - captain Mitchell Bidmade (broken or dislocated wrist) and Darcy Graham (ankle) - to injury in the first quarter.

Recruit Austin Steere played out the game with a shoulder concern too.

"We were pretty proud as a coaching group," he said.

"We had to really rally hard and ask a lot of our players, particularly our midfield group.

"Everyone played big minutes."

O'Keefe said the final term was an "entertaining finish" to a hard-fought match.

"The first half was very contested and stoppage after stoppage and it did open up in the second half," he said.

"There was some really good passages of play with ball movement but on the back of that there was also some turnovers."

Warrnambool's defensive recruits Taylem Wason, Anthony McCarthy and Fletcher Timms impressed O'Keefe.