CASTERTON Sandford surrendered a 25-point three-quarter-time lead to a fast finishing East Gambier, who finally played fluent team football to salvage a draw at McDonald Park at the halfway mark of a competitive Western Border football season.
While it would have been a travesty of justice for the hard-working Cats to travel back over the border as losers, the Bulldogs resurrected the brand of football they are capable of in a hectic final term to save the game.
East’s creative trio of Jayden Eldridge, Shem Balshaw and Matt Dempsey led the resurgence with their intense work rate and clean ball handling, which in turn generated their team mates improved input.
The Bulldogs started the game without injured key position players Matt and Frazer Scanlon, while talented Cats rookie Tynan Shannon was unavailable and versatile tall Matt Killey is still on the medium term injured list.
Within the first minute of the game Bulldogs high leaping forward Mark Rumbelow marked strongly and kicked truly but only two minutes elapsed until live-wire Cat Josh Stephenson squared the ledger with a clever snap shot.
For the remainder of the term play rapidly ricocheted between respective forward zones with each camp adding only two further majors, as neither could stamp their authority on proceedings.
The second quarter saw the Cats, led by courageous coach Hamish Jarrad, Michael Cumming and Stephenson collectively lift their work rate, with a feature being their superior numbers to the disputed contest and rapid direct ball transference forward.
These quick 50-metre zone entries reaped five goals without reply from the now rattled Bulldogs, who could not produce any consistent ball retention or cohesive movement to their goal front.
Just prior to half time Cat Nic Upton incurred a Yellow Card to leave his team one combatant short for the next 15 minutes of play, even though having game control and a 28-point lead.
East failed to take full advantage of the extra free player as each team advanced its goal tally by three in a vigorously contested third term, as respective defensive zones held firm to repel most promising forward thrusts.
From the start of the final quarter the Bulldogs ran in numbers with renewed enthusiasm and continually swept play to their 50 metre arc as the Cats seemed to panic and surrendered their hard-earned stoppage and general field play control.
When the scores levelled at the 17 minute mark the now unsettled Cats moved early to total game-saving mode and flooded the arena from centre circle back as the desperate Bulldogs continually forced the ball forward.
Composed Cats Stephenson, Cumming and Upton shut down the Bulldogs direct avenue to goal and the visitors escaped with one premiership point, which could prove valuable in the race for a final-four spot.
Casterton Sandford displayed genuine improvement team-wide since I last saw them against South Gambier in Round 2 and for most of the game played disciplined team-focussed football until their collective “self-belief” was challenged by the rampaging Bulldogs.
In the last two games East’s coaching staff and selection panel have been able to assess their personnel under pressure and should move forward with the clear knowledge of which players must be regularly utilised in the engine room in the run home and in preparation for finals action.
“I was really impressed with our efforts in the first three quarters when we stuck to our game plan and structures, which enabled us to dictate and control how the game was played,” Cats coach Jarrad said.
“East Gambier are a quality football side and we knew they would get momentum at some stage during the day.
“I was really disappointed in how we were unable to stem their momentum in the last quarter.
“When we were put under pressure we went away from our game plan and our structures fell away.”
When asked about the second half of the season ahead, Jarrad said he would continue the work undertaken so far.
“Our focus areas will be to continue building our season,” he said.
“A real emphasis will continue to be on being mentally disciplined to our game plan and structures for four quarters.
“We will continue to work on growing our discipline and generating more leadership among the playing group.
“Our focus has always been to build our season and be playing our best footy coming into finals.”
