By Adrian Ceddia
The teams recorded just nine goals between them all afternoon, with the Lions edging ahead at the final siren to win by 11 points.
Deer Park had the better of the contest after quarter time, finishing with six more scoring shots and outscoring the Devils by four goals to one.
North Footscray, led by Dale Williams (two goals), leapt to a 10-point lead at quarter time after kicking three out of the first four goals.
The Lions kicked the only goal of the second term to reduce the margin, before adding three in the third – the most productive term of the afternoon for both sides.
At three-quarter time Deer Park led by 15 points, and added just two behinds in the final stages, while North Footscray could manage only a single goal.
In other games, Sunshine Heights won its second game of the season with a crushing 97-point triumph over Braybrook.
The Heights led from start to finish against last year’s finalists and had the game wrapped up with a 61-point lead at half time.
North Sunshine’s turbulent season continued, falling to its third loss in four starts after a 10-goal loss to an invigorated Albanvale outfit.
The Cobras have won their last two after a sluggish start to the season, the latest victory highlighted by a complete team effort.
The match was all but over at three-quarter time when Albanvale led by 45 points, before it ended the match with six multiple goalkickers.
West Footscray took sole ownership of fourth place after a thumping victory over Western Magpies by 142 points.
The Magpies kicked just two goals for the day – one in each half – while the Roosters peppered the goals at will.
Steven Lane stormed to equal leadership of the league goalkicking honours with another bag of nine.
Glenorden moved to the top of the table with a crushing victory over the winless Central Altona, with Nathan Lovell snaring seven goals.
In the closest game of round four, Wyndhamvale snuck over the line by five points against Coburg Districts to keep its unbeaten run alive.
The Falcons led by a single point at half time and extended it to 20 points in the third before Districts finished the stronger to force the tight finish.
And another haul of goals from Heath Shephard helped Gladstone Park to a 132-point win over Brunswick Power, the Burra keeping the Power goalless in the first half.
