IT’S rare a team can kick 21 behinds and still come away with the four points, but such was Myrtleford’s dominance over Albury on Saturday. The Saints weren’t exactly clinical inside forward 50 but won’t complain with a 22-point win over the Tigers, 9.21 (75) to 8.5 (53). Myrtleford were on top early but it didn’t show on the scoreboard until after half-time, when the Saints had generated six more scoring shots than the Tigers but only led by a point. The game became a lot more free-flowing after the break, and the Saints started to find their way to goal more cleanly. Myrtleford dominated late in the match but weren’t able to ice the game in the way they’d prefer, kicking 4.5 in the final quarter to secure the points. Senior coach Craig Millar said the boys would have to pack their goal kicking boots next time. “It’s one of those weeks, fortunately it didn’t come back to bite us, but we had plenty of looks, 30 scoring shots to 13, so we definitely had our opportunity to really stamp our authority, but we weren’t able to do it,” he said. “I just feel like it was a really important game for both clubs, in the optics of the season leading into the bye. “We definitely kicked poorly, we finished with 21 points for the game, so we’ve got a bit of work to do in front of goals. “I was really proud of a really disciplined game, it was a nail-biter pretty much until three quarter time. “Even in the last quarter, they got back within 14 points and we were good enough to hold them at arm’s length until the end. “Our poor kicking kept them in the game, and we know poor kicking is not great footy.” Jaxon East was once again tremendous for the Saints, finishing with 26 disposals and 10 contested possessions in a best on ground performance, while Mitch Tenardi, Tom Cappellari and Bowen Calogero were also influential. While the Tigers won the hitout count by 21 through titan Isaac Muller, the Saints’ blossoming ruck duo of Toby Cossor and Riley Smith wore Muller down as the game went on. While they lost hitouts, Myrtleford won clearances by four, disposals by 62, and inside 50s by 30, a sure sign the backs and midfielders are linking up spectacularly. “It was a really mature game from our midfield, after half-time they really stepped it up and started to use the hands a little bit better than what was happening in the first half,” Millar said. “They were all super, that inside midfield group we have. “I thought it was a really mature game from Toby Cossor and big Riley Smith - I think Riley Smith took 10 marks around the ground, he had an influence around the ground for us, and Toby continues to improve week on week as a young ruckman.” The result sees Myrtleford’s senior side sit third overall after the first six matches, behind only the ever-dangerous Wangaratta and reigning premiers Rovers. “Our players have been training really hard for a long period of time now,” Millar said. “This is not six weeks of work, this is probably 18 months of work to build consistent in their game and step up and rise to the challenge of being a really good Ovens and Murray senior player. “We’ve still got a long way to go, but I feel like there’s a degree of self-confidence in our group at the moment that we can match it with the top teams.” The Saints sit this weekend out, with the annual interleague fixture between the O&M and GVL to be held at WJ Findlay Oval this Saturday.
