The Mallee Bulls went into the game riding a three-game winning high but couldn't overcome an Avondale outfit that had lost only once this season.

Tolich praised the defensive performance of his improved side after they held the visitors to a single try in a highly physical first half to go to the sheds trailing 10-7.

"Our defensive effort in the first-half was as good as we've had this year," Tolich said.

"Trying to stop their big fellas' running games was our aim and I thought we did a good job of that for the most part."

Still, the Uni coach was left ruing a number of blown chances in a close first half and said his team's lack of experience showed in their inability to capitalise on opportunities.

"We had opportunities but we just didn't nail them down," he said.

It wasn't until Chris Jack scored a converted try midway through a tough second half that the Wombats pulled away. Greg Neale slotted a field goal to seal the victory.

Avondale coach Les Sperring was in raptures over his team's defensive display against one of the competition's up-and-coming sides.

"They only scored one try and that was on the back of a couple of penalties," Sperring said.

"I think that our defensive effort was sensational - to keep them to virtually zero was great. Our defence is something we have really been concentrating on at training."

Avondale is in the middle of a group of three games that Sperring called a "mid-season finals period". The Wombats play defending premiers Shamrocks next week before travelling to Shoalhaven in round 13.

Sperring said University were a team he expected to see again in the semis.

"They're a team that we rate quite highly," he said.

"It was an arm-wrestle all the way - it was a really tough game of football."

In other games, Shamrocks got their season back on track with a 28-8 win over Kiama at Ocean Park, Shoalhaven defeated Tech Waratahs 25-13 at Shoalhaven, and Bowral gave their finals chances a boost with a dominant 58-20 victory over Camden.

Points table: Avondale 42, Shoalhaven 40, Shamrocks 32, University 26, Bowral 23, Tech Waratahs 20, Vikings 18, Kiama 14, Camden 7.