CASTERTON Sanford is celebrating after claiming a win in the Western Border football first semi final against Millicent on Saturday.
The wide open spaces of Blue Lake Sports Park seemed to suit the Cats early, but from there the Saints rallied and began to mount a counter attack.
With the wind blowing hard down the ground, there was a distinct scoring end, but both sides had their chances in each quarter.
In the end it was the Cats who made the most of available opportunities to hold on in the final term and run out 22-point victors.
Much of that success came from the hand of Trent Nesbit, who banged on three first-quarter goals to set his side up for the remainder of the contest.
But it was Millicent that found the big sticks early, after the Cats failed to take advantage of the breeze.
The Saints began to attack and a Tom Hutchesson kick deep into the 50-metre zone fell short on the wind.
But it was Dylan Bromley who was in the right place at the right time, leading forward for a regulation chest mark and a major score.
With the Cats defence of Travis Robertson, Tynan Shannon and Daniel Wombwell holding strong, they were able to work the ball back down the ground and set Dylan Ryan up for shot from the boundary.
Ryan made good use of the prevailing wind and drifted the ball in for the Cats first goal.
The Saints continued to push forward, with Callan Hobbs finding the woodwork for another minor score, before a Peter Duncan attempt fell short into the arms of Robertson.
Nesbit soon found an opportunity up forward and extended the lead, repeating that effort just minutes later with another wide shot drifted in.
Cats coach Hamish Jarrad soon added to the list of goal kickers and suddenly the Saints were looking second string.
The Cats made good use of the wind late in the term and when Nesbit added his third for the game, the lead looked insurmountable.
By the first break the Cats had skipped out to a 27-point advantage, with the Saints needing something special in the second to keep in touch.
After some early attacking play, Hamish Nitschke came to the rescue with a major score, but the likes of Robertson and Shannon were holding on well down back for the Cats.
The Cats continued to push hard against the breeze, but the Millicent back six worked together to keep the damage to just three minor scores.
Tempers began to fray, but Nitchske put it all aside and added his second to bring the margin back to 16 points with 20 minutes played.
He then chipped into the forward 50 late in the term and found Peter Duncan, but the big forward sprayed his set shot wide for a minor score.
As the siren sounded for the long break tempers erupted, with Rick Killey downed behind the play and a subsequent melee breaking out.
After the break to Saints continued to attack in to the wind, with Duncan again off line.
Billy Galpin had worked his way into the contest and was finding plenty of ball down back, combining with Robertson to clear the danger zone.
Dylan Ayton was likewise dangerous around the ground, with a chip into Ryan spelling danger.
But Ryan sprayed his kick wide to give the Saints some breathing space.
However, Jarrad soon added his second for the day to increase the lead and again the Saints were on the ropes.
Robertson, Galpin and Josh Stephenson combined to run the ball out of danger and up forward, with the result another Ryan goal.
It was fast becoming desperate times for the Saints, which was typified in a Duncan kick on the run from outside the 50-metre arc.
With the Cats defenders closing in fast, Duncan banged the ball long, which rolled on and split the middle for an inspiring major.
However, at the final break the margin was 27 points and there was plenty to do if the Saints were to push deeper into the post season.
Hutchesson rose when his side needed something, with an early goal in the final stanza to keep the Saints in the contest.
However, soon after Nic Upton created a major from nothing, snapping through a pack in reply.
When Duncan added another major the margin was 22 points and there was still time for the Saints to pull off a miraculous win.
But the Cats had another chance up forward, with Stephenson crossing to Upton, who unselfishly chipped to Nesbitt for his fourth of the day.
Duncan added another later but time was the enemy and the when the final siren sounded the Cats celebrated with a comfortable victory.
The defensive efforts of Robertson went a long way to securing the victory, his work with youngsters Shannon, Ben Guthrie and Galpin invaluable.
But all eyes were on Nesbit, who took the challenge with both hands and ensured his side would move deeper into the finals, with a week off then a shot at a grand final berth in the preliminary final.
For Jarrad it was a welcome result after a tough day of football.
“It was a tough game, but I thought we kept them in it,” he said.
“We probably should have put them away with scoreboard pressure, but Millicent is the type of team that is never going to go away.”
Jarrad said the wind made a big difference in each quarter, but felt his side did not take full advantage.
“Even though we kicked five goals in the first quarter, I thought it was just a par result,” he said.
“I thought keeping them to two in the second term was a pretty good effort, but then I thought we should have put the game away in the third quarter.
“In finals, scoreboard pressure is king, so if we had got a seven or eight goal buffer, we would have been able to run away with it.”
Overall he said he felt there was much more in the team.
“I thought across the board there were probably only five or six guys who played to the level we require,” he said.
“I reckon we can gain 10-20pc improvement out of 15 guys.”
With that in mind he said he was confident heading into the preliminary final, regardless of who they face.
“At the start of the year we set ourselves a goal to make the finals,” he said.
“We said once we get there we would give ourselves an opportunity if we keep winning and that’s basically what we did Saturday.
“The preliminary final will be a tough game, but we will definitely go in with the belief we can beat either East or North.”
