DESPITE leading for all but five minutes of the game, Kyneton was forced to split the points with Sandhurst after the two teams fought out the first draw of the BFNL season on Saturday.
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While it was a missed opportunity for the Tigers given the amount of time they spent in front on the scoreboard, perhaps the Dragons could also feel the same given they had five more scoring shots in their tally of 13.18 (96) to Kyneton’s 14.12 (96).
Even though Kyneton didn’t secure the four premiership points and get to 4-0 for the first time since 1986, the Tigers’ performance against the reigning premiers proved they are a serious team on the rise this year, with there plenty to like about their QEO showing.
Yet to Sandhurst’s credit, the Dragons showed tremendous fighting spirit to clinch two points after spending most of the day playing catch-up footy.
The Tigers – who had the best player on the ground in onballer Rhys Magin – looked like they would secure a rare QEO win when dynamic forward Ben Weightman slotted his fifth goal with a banana kick in the South Bendigo social rooms forward pocket.
Weightman’s goal put the Tigers 12 points up with 1:45 left in the game.
But as had constantly been the case in what was a gripping final quarter, the team trailing responded with a goal as Seb Greene answered for the Dragons with a shot that bounced through and cut the margin to six points.
From the following centre bounce Sandhurst won the clearance through Andrew Collins and with plenty of poise, he hit up the leading Lee Coghlan 35m out on the press box flank.
Coghlan handled the pressure of the situation with ease with a set-shot goal that split the middle of the big sticks and levelled the scores with 30 seconds to go.
It was the final score of the game as the siren sounded soon after with the ball on the Tigers’ forward flank.
Sandhurst kicked six of its 13 goals in the final quarter after starting the last term 14 points in arrears.
The Tigers played the last 15 minutes of the game without Kevin Clark, who was yellow carded after a collision with Blair Holmes that cost Kyneton a goal, while earlier, defender Harrison Huntley hobbled off 10 minutes into the first quarter.
Kyneton, which is much better built for the QEO this year with its extra leg speed, led by as many as 25 points during the second quarter as it served the challenge right up to the Dragons, who took until nine minutes into the final term after a Matt Gray goal to hit the front for the first time in what was the first of four lead changes in the last quarter before scores finished locked together.
