Kyneton got a much-needed win and knocked off an old rival in the process in the Bendigo Football League on Saturday.
The Tigers had lost their past three games and, having been on the top of the ladder early in the season, had slipped out of the top five in recent weeks.
It meant their match against Gisborne – already a big occasion between the only two Macedon Ranges teams in the competition – got even bigger.
Kyneton coach Luke Beattie said there was a lot of passion early in the game, which reminded him of the historic rivalries between the two neighbouring sides.
He said it was good to see.
Early on Beattie wasn’t happy as his side struggled and Gisborne made a contest of it. However the Tigers got their act together in the second half, kicking away to win 17.13 (115)-9.10 (64).
While it had been a great contest in the first half for those watching the game, Beattie said his side had wasted the ball.
“We played poorly,” he said. “We turned it over too many times. That was the key difference between the first and the second half.
“We looked at getting the ball in the hands of the better-equipped footballers for greater periods of time in the second half.
“Gisborne dropped off and we were able to capitalise. It was good to get a good win as you don’t know whether percentage will come into play later in the season.”
Max O’Sullivan kicked five goals for the Tigers, but Beattie said he, like most of the playing group, played a game of two halves.
Beattie said Josh Govan and Michael Clancy were the exceptions, with both playing really good four-quarter games.
The win leaves the Tigers two points outside the top five. Beattie said they were clearly focused on making the finals, as they had for the past two years.
Having had a draw and three losses by seven points or under, Beattie knows they can match it with most, if not every, team in the competition. He said more than luck would come into play.
“Luck is a perceived outcome from a repetitive nature and effort. If we can keep that up for longer periods of times [we will win] and most of those [future] games against the sides we had close losses to are at our home ground, which is a real advantage.
“They need to keep doing the things we ask of them … we need to make the second half of the season better than the first half.
“If we stay the same, we don’t play finals.”
For the Bulldogs, Jake Conolan kicked three goals. Jack Reaper was named the Bulldogs best player.
The Bulldogs remain seventh on the ladder, 10 points behind the Tigers.
