Wimmera-Mail Times | A MANIC Minyip-Murtoa inflicted Horsham Saints’ first loss of the season on Saturday, surviving a late charge to record a thrilling three-point triumph.
The match was stalled as Burra Brayden Ison and Saint Garry Hallam were both reported for striking and sent off in the early stages.
With both sides a man down for the first 15 minutes, Minyip-Murtoa got the better of a fierce opening term, kicking five goals to one to take a 26-point, quarter-time lead.
As the Saints looked to claw their way back into the contest, the scoring dried up, but the Burras held tough to lead by 33 at the final change.
In a match that saw little offered from the Saints for three quarters, their challenge inexorably came in the form of five goals on the bounce in the final term.
They began to win the football on the outside and looked to have all the running.
Only the final siren denied them what would have been an impressive come-from-behind win.
It was a match where no one dominated, as Kieran Delahunty kicked two goals for Minyip-Murtoa.
Daniel Rees did the same for the Saints, as 13 single goal-kickers littered the score sheet.
Saints coach Shayne Breuer said in the aftermath he believed the three-point margin flattered his side.
‘‘It felt like a 10-goal loss,’’ he said.
‘‘Our use early wasn’t good. But that was probably because of the pressure they put us under.
‘‘I thought they were harder than us in the first half. They smashed us in the contested ball.’’
Breuer said he was pleased the Saints ran out the game strongly.
Burras coach Jaye Macumber said to hang on for the win was a relief.
‘‘We’ve had a very heavy training load the past few weeks and we knew fatigue was going to come,’’ he said.
‘‘The Saints are a fantastic side. They were undefeated and we knew they were going to come and they did come hard.
‘‘We could’ve just laid down and let them go but our back line was great and won crucial contests at the end.
‘‘Our manic pressure was hard to maintain and in that last quarter we were just hanging on and hanging on.
‘‘I’m very proud.’’