KYNETON scored one of the most astonishing victories of the 2014 season to date, holding on to beat Golden Square by seven points in Saturday’s MyJet Oval match.
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The Tigers held the Bulldogs to a trifling 2.11 by three-quarter time, while posting 7.8 with one term to play.
Even though Square booted five goals with the breeze in a pulsating final quarter, Kyneton managed two majors in reply to hold on for its second win of the season: 9.8 (62) to 7.13 (55).
Joel Stevenson, the dominant big man afield, landed two Tiger goals with his reliable left foot in the opening term.
With only Che Walls and Dale Lowry able to split the sticks for the Square for the entire first half, the Tigers held a slender four-point lead at the main break.
Dale Ciunik blanketed Square’s inaccurate boom recruit Corey Jones, Josh Houlden and Kane Ransted constantly held Square out in the Tiger back half and Ryan Carafa was outstanding through the midfield.
With four goals to zero in the third term, the Tigers raced out to the biggest lead of the match.
Carafa kicked the goal of the day. Breaking the normally unbreakable tackle of Square's premier defender Clayton Anderson, Carafa burst through centrefield, took one bounce and nailed his left-footer at the Wade Street end.
When star Ben Weightman (two) and Hayden Wright added more Tiger goals, the Square was staring at a 27-point last change deficit.
Then suddenly the Dogs got off the leash. Walls unloaded two long bombs, Jack Daley and Sam Harper were on target from the goal square and Lowry steered home his second.
The Tigers had replied through Harrison Huntley, who outbodied his opponent in a marking contest and slammed the ball over the backyards of Maple Street.
Had Lachlan Woodward been able to land a major from centre half-forward at the 25-minute mark the margin would have been less then one straight kick.
But he missed and the Square’s chances had flown.
Kyneton coach Mark Adamson, who led the Dogs to the first of their five consecutive grand final wins in 2009, said Golden Square was always hard to beat.
“I thought the key was our third quarter (when 4.1 was kicked) in which we did quite well. And I was really pleased with our side at the end because we were down to no bench," Adamson said.
“Golden Square is an outstanding club on and off the field.
"You have to play four committed quarters against them no matter what names are out there and how their performances have been leading into a game.
“We were fortunate enough in the end to have had a big enough lead to get us over the line."
