MILLICENT footballers had a fight on their hands when they met Western Border’s bottom-of-the-ladder side West Gambier at McLaughlin Park on Saturday.
The points were there for the taking up until midway through the final term before the home side could break clear to record a 17 point victory.
The lead swapped many times throughout the game, although it must be said poor kicking at goals cost both sides dearly, particularly the Saints whose high marking forwards – Mitch Reilly, Dylan Bromley and the Duncan brothers (Peter and Reece) – could have set their side up for a bigger win.
The Millicent victory was much more rewarding for their supporters as they gained it without their inspirational coach Clint Gallio, who is sidelined with a serious knee injury.
His return to the field will become much clearer later this week when he travels to Adelaide to see a specialist.
The sign the Roos had come to play was seen from the first bounce with both sides showing plenty of endeavour.
West posted the opening major after 10 minutes through the agency of Tom Zeitz.
After a number of shots going astray, Bromley brought up the home side’s answer halfway through the term, but West full forward Alex Hentschke kicked accurately.
West led 2.4 to 1.6 at the first change, but neither side had shown they would run away with the game.
However, the Saints played their best football in the second term when they managed to break clear to add to their score.
Onballer Hamish Nitschke opened their scoring with an accurate 50-metre shot in the first few minutes – the first of his two for the quarter.
This was followed by one from the boundary by youngster Sam Willis.
The umpires helped Mitchell Gordon record another for the home side when they awarded him two 50-metre penalties, taking him from the half-back line to the goal square.
Dylan Tincknell then brought up the Saints’ fifth for the term when he scored the goal-of-the-day from 60 metres out.
West could only manage one goal for the term and this came in time on when Josh Schapel kicked accurately.
The home side held the biggest lead of the game at half-time – 6.9 to 3.7 – but to its credit West fought back in the third as it kept the opposition to only three points while it added 3.1 to be within four points at the last change.
The likes of Kyle Giddings, the Zeitz brothers (Tom and Sam), Adam Gibbs, Todd Lewis and Steven Wenman started to find the ball.
They could have led at the break but a Lewis shot after the siren from 50 metres out fell short.
The Roos hit the front after 10 minutes of play in the last term when Lewis Lean goaled, but this was his side’s only major for the quarter.
Their two-point lead only lasted a few minutes as Mitchell Reilly took a strong mark 30 metres out to put the Saints back in front.
Giddings had a chance to regain the lead shortly after, but his shot went astray.
The result was still open halfway through the term with less than a goal separating the sides, but goals from Willis and
Bromley gave the Saints the break they needed as they ran out winners by 17 points.
West showed it has plenty of talent to push the sides above them as it took it up to the opposition.
They next meet an in-form North Gambier which accounted for the previously undefeated East Gambier on the weekend.
The Saints will hope to rectify their poor goal shooting when they next travel to Blue Lake Sports Park to meet South Gambier.
