THE Under 14 game started with Millicent having most of the play going their way.

Reghan Parsons was holding strong in the backline and stopping the flow, meanwhile Riley Hutchins performed a strong tackle in the back pocket to save another Millicent thrust forward.

Finally, halfway through the first quarter, Millicent scored the first point, then just seconds later a goal.

Cats managed to get the next centre clearance heading there way, Sam Patton directed a precision kick to Jedd Rhook who marked strongly, 40 out from goal. Jedd went back and converted our first goal for the day.

Once again, our on-ballers Connor Stephens and Brody Pratt pumped the ball forward; Jett Lykke tackled his opposition strongly and received a free kick.

He sent the ball to the clubrooms pocket where Jedd marked strongly again, but on a tuff angle with 30 seconds to go, didn’t quite convert this time and a point resulted.

Scores were even at quarter-time: Casterton-Sandford 1.1.7, Millicent 1.1.7.

Coach Kurzman said the boys needed to turn it up a notch and put some scoreboard pressure on the away team.

The young Cats started strongly with most of the play in our forward line.

Jaggar Geary rushed a snap over his head when he was one on one just to right of goal square and put us one point up.

The Cats were dominating the ground balls, Nate Longhurst pumped it forward again but Connor’s shot at goal just offline and another point.

Next Sam joined the point party with a long roost of the footy, where Jaggar shepherded his opponent to let the ball dribble through, but it bounced the wrong side of the big stick.

Cats had several opportunities but didn’t quite convert.

Rupert Dorahy slammed the ball toward our forward 50-metre line and Jedd ran hard at it, scooping up footy and directed a well-weighted kick to Jack Rhook who took a strong mark, 25 metres out, right in front.

Jack converted our second goal for the day.

With Cats well and truly on top in this quarter, we still only found ourselves five points up.

Some desperate efforts from our backline in the dying minutes of first half saved sure goals.

Alex Hill was working overtime down back and cut off several Millicent attempts.

Reghan Parsons was putting his body on the line, another two points from Saints; the last one was heading for open goal until Blake Kurzman ran hard to pressure his opposition.

Kirby Vise was also trying hard to hold the backline together, while they were under the pump in last five minutes of first half.

Half-time: Casterton-Sandford 2.4.16, Millicent 1.3.9.

The second half started with Brody desperately spoiling on the line to cause a point, only for the opposition and the Cats were only one goal ahead now.

Sam was the next hero in defence to stand up and mark in the last line.

Riley won his one-on-one contest in the middle and we got the ball forward to Jack, who had a set shot in front of scoreboard and he scored our only point for the quarter.

At this stage we were seven points up, but things deteriorated from there for the Cats.

Millicent scored another two goals and two points for the quarter.

Some highlights for us were Reghan and Kirby combining in defence in front of grandstand.

Underage player, George Edgar, filling in for his first game in Under 14s, managed to hold the ball up in our back pocket when he was out-numbered, three-on-one.

Down the caravan park wing was a lovely passage of play from Reghan to Billy Rhook and precision kicking onto Connor, but no score resulted unfortunately.

Three-quarter-time: Casterton-Sandford 2.5.17, Millicent 3.5.23.

Our coach begged for hardness at the footy, it was a must if we wanted the win.

Cats kids started well - first centre clearance Billy was in and under and got the ball out to his brother, who pumped it to contest on our 50, where Ayden Nolte and Takudswa battled it out and TK got the free kick.

But Millicent rebounded it out and down in the forward line, after some panicked play from our defenders who centred the outlet kick to the hot spot in front of Millicent goal.

Their full forward jumped on the easy opportunity and really drove a dagger into our hearts scoring an easy goal and Cats were now 12 points down with five minutes to go.

It was hard to see where we could find another two goals when we had only managed two so far for the game, but stranger things have happened in footy.

Once again, Reghan did some great work to get the ball to Sam Patton, who kicked to Jedd, who marked 30 metres out, as the clock was ticking down, perhaps he rushed this shot a bit and it shifted to the town side of the goal post.

Eleven points now the margin.

More untidy play from the Cats led to another Millicent goal in the last minute, to blow the scoreline out to 17 points.

Final score: Casterton-Sandford 2.6.18, Millicent 5.5.35.

Cats were really still in the game until the last five minutes.

We manage to hold onto third position, thanks to a draw earlier in the year with East, who we meet again over in Mount Gambier this Saturday.