Mansfield has given its hopes of a top two Goulburn Valley League finish a major boost on Saturday afternoon following its triumph over a determined Mooroopna.
The Eagles prevailed by 14 points in a finals-type game in the High Country.
A clinical second half would prove the catalyst behind what Eagles coach Chad Owens described as his team’s “most satisfying victory of the season”, as it kept the red-hot Cats to just one goal after the main break to run away a 12.10 (82) to 10.8 (68) victor.
This came after it appeared Mooroopna spearhead Chris Nield would single-handily lift his team to victory in the early stages, booting the Cats’ first five majors and entering the sheds at half-time with a cool six to his name.
But as has been the case all season long, the system and structure of the Eagles rose to the fore, with all 22 players doing their bit to wrestle back control of the game and curb the influence of Nield.
A result that has Mansfield leapfrog Euroa into second spot, Owens said it was fantastic to see his team stand up in such an intense game of football.
“That was a finals-like game, it was everything on the line from them, they needed to win to keep their finals hopes alive,” Owens said.
“It was a physical game of footy, it was a fast game of footy, at times we lost momentum and didn’t wrestle it back quick enough because we gave away too many outside balls.
“But we addressed where we were going wrong and managed to correct it, which is (as a coach) something that makes me very proud of the group.
“The win was absolutely one of the better ones I’ve had in my time here.”
As the sun beamed down on a brisk day at Mansfield, the Eagles managed to get the fast start, booting the first four majors courtesy of a Cameron Arnold onslaught.
But as the game looked to be getting away from the visitors, the individual brilliance of Nield pulled them back in.
Operating with supreme confidence inside the Cats’ forward 50, it was as if every time he went near the ball something would happen, as he booted three quick goals to bring the margin back to two points at quarter-time.
And the league’s premier goal-kicker was only just getting started.
Making life difficult for seasoned opponent Lachie Christopher, Nield was constantly able to find space on the lead and if he didn’t mark it he’d still manage to impact at ground level.
The second quarter onslaught would have the Cats hit the front and the Eagles get restless, giving up some undisciplined free kicks that helped the likes of Jackson Trengove and Ethan Hunt hit the scoreboard.
Ten points adrift at half-time, Owens explained his mindset at the main change and how he went about shutting down Nield.
“Late in the second quarter we decided to drop a wingman behind the ball and then in the second half changed it to Frazer Dale behind the ball, which ended up taking away Chris Nield’s space,” he said.
“Chris Nield kicked six goals in the first half, he’s a great player, but we continued to trust that Lachie (Christopher) would get the job done.
“It says he kicked six on Lachie, but really it was the pressure up the field that led to that, and once we fixed that the game started to turn.”
Having implemented a number of structural changes at the main break, Mansfield quickly got on top at the start of the third term.
But despite the ball living in its forward 50, it wasn’t able to completely capitalise, with a return of 2.4 leaving the door open for the Cats to stay in the contest.
And unsurprisingly it was Nield who kicked the visitors back into gear, mesmerising three Mansfield defenders to snap his seventh and give the visitors a one-point lead at the final change.
Poised for a grand stand finish, Mansfield rose to the occasion in the final term, producing a blistering quarter of football.
Limiting all supply to Nield, the Eagles’ pressure was too much for the young Cats, who registered just one behind after three-quarter time to fall by 14 points.
Owens said he was incredibly proud of his team’s efforts after half-time.
“In the first 21 minutes of the third they didn’t score, we wrestled ascendancy back, gave our forwards a chance and just got back to playing our footy,” he said.
“I was really proud of the way our forwards went to work and just our determination to win the contest and work for each other it was great to see.
“While not everyone won their position, we were able to win at least half of them, and everyone had their moments on the day.”
With a top two spot now Mansfield’s to lose, it welcomes Kyabram to high country for a pivotal round 17 clash before finishing the home and away season with a trip to Tatura.
While Mooroopna is still chasing that elusive 12th victory and needs to defeat either Euroa or Echuca in the final fortnight to secure its first finals appearance since 2014.