James Murphy
Casterton Sandford 13.14 (92) d North Gambier 11.10 (76)
AN upset at Island Park handed Casterton Sandford its ticket back into the top four of the Western Border football competition.
The Cats hosted North Gambier and welcomed back half a dozen players from injury as they proved they can never be underestimated.
They led at every change and despite a late fight back from the Tigers, concluded the day with a 16-point victory.
The match started ominously for the Cats as North dominated the opening five minutes to hold an early four-goal lead.
In an impressive swing of momentum, the hosts knuckled down and the next 12 scoring shots came at their attacking end.
The Cats piled on 6.6 to lead at the first change, before a pair of goals each in the second quarter left them up by 16 at the main break.
Both sides regrouped at half time but it was the Cats who pressed onward, holding the Tigers to just three behinds in the third quarter.
Meanwhile they piled on five goals to carry a dominant 46-point lead into the final stanza.
The game appeared won at that point but to North’s credit it turned the momentum in the run home to draw in the margin to 16 points at the final siren.
A seven-goal haul from North star Sam Stafford was not enough on the day and the Cats held on for the valuable premiership points.
The outcome was a pleasing one for Casterton Sandford coach Kane Forbes.
“They are a quality side and we knew they were going to come,” he said.
“Credit to the boys they were able to withhold their pressure in that last quarter and still come away with a couple of points.
“I am really happy with the result – it was a massive game for us.”
The Victorians were best served by Billy Galpin, who was dangerous through the midfield.
He also pushed forward to lead his team on the scoreboard with three goals.
“Just his intensity at the footy and his ability to bring his teammates into the game – he was fantastic again,” Forbes said.
Diarmid Cleary was impressive as well and finished with two majors playing at half-forward opposed to his usual midfield role, while the services of young-gun Adam McKinnon down the wing earned him praise from his coach.
A talented forward, he has been swapped onto the wing in recent rounds – a move Forbes said has started to bear fruit.
“We have moved him to the wing and since that point in time he has just grown in the role,” Forbes said.
“He was fantastic, he got in the right spots and his opponent didn’t seem to have much of an influence.
“He definitely had plenty of drive for us going forward.”
Justin Carlin, Gabe Parsons and Joshua Cottier rounded out the best players in a performance which Forbes described as a strong team effort.
Ciaran Buckley was the man of the match for North, followed closely by Stafford.
Justin McConnell rose to the occasion again and joined the likes of Nick McInerney and Stafford driving through the middle.
However, Forbes said it was the Cats’ ability to deny North its usual access through the corridor which won them the game.
“Being able to shut down that movement was a real focus point for us,” he said.
“Did we do it perfectly? No, probably not.
“But we did it well enough to force them wide and around the outside into our hands.”
The outcome sets up a pivotal clash between Casterton Sandford and West Gambier next round.
Saturday’s result leapfrogged the Cats into the top four and they sit a win clear of the Roos.
They will be hungry for a win in their third meeting with West and should they get the result, will have a valuable buffer heading into the back end of the season.
North will hope to bounce back against a struggling East Gambier in order to keep itself wedged firmly in finals contention.
