CASTERTON Sandford broke away on the Western Border football premiership ladder, after it emerged victorious in its top-of-the-table clash with Millicent at McLaughlin Park on Saturday.
The Cats now hold four wins from as many matches and with its clubrooms up and running, looks forward to five consecutive home games at Island Park.
The end margin saw the Saints down by 38 points at the final siren, but it did not all go the Cats way, as the opening half was an even affair, which saw both teams battle it out across the ground.
The Cats were off to a strong start, bagging three majors and two minors in the opening term, while the Saints managed one of each to trail by 13 points going into the first break.
In the second quarter the game entered a deadlock, with neither side able to claim the advantage.
Both teams finished with two goals for the term, while Millicent also scored three minor scores.
Efficiency was the Cats’ downfall in this quarter, as they spent a lot of time passing the ball around without gaining much ground, which saw a 10-point margin at the long break.
Cats’ Playing coach Hamish Jarrad said the message he gave his players at half time was simple.
“We were doing all the right things, we just weren’t quite executing them,” he said.
“The message was let’s be a bit more efficient.
“We were probably over-using the footy a little bit, so it was lets get it out of the contest and then get it long and direct forward.”
And the Cats did just that, with the side hitting the ground running in the third term to bang out three goals in four minutes and assert their dominance.
The charge was led by Jarrad, as he claimed the first goal for the half in the opening minute, before Dylan Ayton and Joshua Searle followed suite.
After this initial rush, Millicent was able to compose itself and the next goal was not scored until late in the term.
However, behinds were in abundance, with the Saints kicking six, without finding the big sticks, while the Cats added five to their tally.
Josh Stephenson broke the goal drought in the 20th minute, as he snapped one through to extend the Cats’ lead even further.
This was soon followed by Michael Cummings, who converted a free kick from just outside the 50-metre line, while the Cats’ sixth and final goal for the quarter was bagged by Ricky Killey in the 26th minute.
This saw the visitors lead the Saints by a handy 48 points at the final break.
Millicent managed to hit back in the final quarter, with Dylan Bromley opening the ledger for the term with a goal two minutes in.
This was backed up by Hamish Nitschke, who kicked his first for the game in the seventh minute.
Despite narrowing the scoreline, Millicent was unable to recover from the third-quarter onslaught, so when the Cats answered with two goals late in the game the Saints’ fate was sealed.
Nitschke scored his second goal in the dying minutes, but it was too late and the Cats claimed a comfortable win.
Will Macdonald was in fine form for the Cats, with not only his solid work in the ruck, but his efforts around the ground earning him the best-on-ground for his team.
He also spent some time in full forward, where he used his height to battle against Steve Duldig.
Tom Sullivan was impressive through the mid-field, with plenty of possessions in a hard ball contest, running it out of the danger zone.
Todd Clode, Cummings and Trent Nesbitt were also in the top-performers’ list, with their consistent efforts aiding the Cats to their fourth win in a row.
Ben Guthrie also played his part once again in the backline, while Callum Currie upheld his recent form to lead the goal-kicking with three to his name.
For the Saints Jonah Grimes was named as best-on-ground, as he held his own in the ruck against the height and skill of Macdonald.
Dylan Tincknell was also in his usual good form towards the back, while Steve Duldig held strong as Millicent’s last line of defence.
Bromley, Reece Duncan and Brady Gibbs were also among the Saints’ best.
Jarrad was pleased with the team effort, after knowing they were facing a tough and physical clash.
“We knew it was going to be a tough road trip,” he said.
“Vansittart Park last week, McLaughlin Park this week, they are probably the two hardest road trips in footy.
“To have them back-to-back and get the job done, I am really proud of the group.”
Jarrad said he knew it would be a matter of maintaining pressure for the full four quarters which would see his side across the line.
“Millicent are a really hard, physical contested side,” he said.
“We knew they weren’t going to role over, so we were going to have to continue to apply pressure.”
Despite this win, Jarrad said the Cats “are under no illusions” as the Saints were not at full strength and could still be a contender next time they meet.
“They have a few good players to come back in,” he said.
“We are definitely not getting ahead of ourselves, we know next time we play them it’s going to be a slightly different outfit, as are a few of the other teams we have already played.
“A winning culture is what we are trying to breed and all we can do is continue to beat the teams we come up against.”
Yet to play at home this year due to work at the club, Jarrad and his Cats will be excited to get back in front of their home crowd for the next few weeks.
“We have five games at home now, so we are really looking forward to that,” he said.
“We believe we are a better side at home than away.
“One thing we struggled to do last year was win on the road, so to put four wins together in a row early in the year is a credit to the group.
“But now we go back home this week and we have to bring the same intensity we have been bringing on the road.”
