READ MORE - SATURDAY SCOREBOARD - July 20, 2019
MOMENTUM ebbed and flowed all game in Kangaroo Flat's thrilling three-point win over Kyneton in the BFNL on Saturday.
No more than 13 points separated the two sides, and neither team was able to kick consecutive goals in the second half at Dower Park, with the Roos having their noses in front at the final siren, 10.6 (66) to 9.9 (63).
In a contest featuring two evenly-matched sides in the bottom five against each other, the lead changed 11 times during the second half, with neither team able to crack the game open.
Every time one of the sides kicked a goal in the second half, it was answered by the opposition.
The final goal of the game was kicked by Kangaroo Flat full-forward Matt Boland, who took the kick after team-mate Andrew Cussen had received a free kick for below the knee contact.
Cussen was hurt and unable to kick, and the incident also resulted in a 50m penalty and yellow card against the Tigers' Shaun Huy, which took Boland to the goal-line.
Boland, who had an enthralling duel with Tigers' full-back Harrison Huntley all game, slotted his fifth goal to give the Roos a three-point lead at the 27-minute mark.
While Boland's was the final score of the match, the Tigers did have the last shot.
After transitioning the ball from half-back, Kyneton's Rhys Magin was awarded a free kick on the Tigers' 50m line as the clock ticked down to 19 seconds.
Kicking with the aid of the breeze, Magin launched his shot, but it was sailing to the right forward pocket when the siren sounded for the Roos' third win of the season.
Boland kicked all three of the Roos' final quarter-goals in what was a strong return from a calf injury that included taking the mark of the day over the top of Huntley in the first quarter.
Boland and fellow key forward Matt Clifford (two goals) both presented well for the Roos, while the return in the ruck of co-captain Nick Lang from his broken finger in what was a high-stoppage game was also timely.
Kyneton's Max O'Sullivan caused the Roos plenty of grief inside the visitor's forward 50. O'Sullivan again oozed class, kicking four of the Tigers' nine goals, while the second of Hamish Govan's two goals gave Kyneton back the lead with four minutes to play.
It was a dour contest early, with the two sides combining for just five scoring shots in the first term as the Roos led 1.2 to 0.2 at quarter-time.
The game opened up in the second term with nine goals kicked and the Tigers ahead by two points at half-time, 5.4 to 5.2, before the goal-for-goal second half.
"We've identified a number of games in the back half of the year that we believe are winnable and this was one of them," Roos coach Rob Bennett said.
"The last 30 minutes... I thought our defensive work and one-on-one contests around the ground were really strong. I asked for a big effort at three quarter-time and the boys gave it."
The Tigers won the inside-50 count 46-43 and centre clearances 14-9.
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