HORSHAM Saints produced the upset of the Wimmera Football League season so far, downing Minyip-Murtoa.
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The Saints won 13.14 (92) to 6.10 (46).
The teams faced off at Horsham City Oval on Sunday.
The Burras have been the competition front-runners for most of the season, but fell well short of victory against last year’s premiers.
Minyip-Murtoa started the match well and led by 11 points at the first break.
The Saints rued missed opportunities in the first quarter, The side kicked five points for just one major.
But the tables turned in the second quarter, with the Saints booting four goals and the Burras’ three.
The margin was five points in favour of the Burras at half-time.
The Saints took charge after the main break, piling on four goals while restricting Minyip-Murtoa to two points.
It was much of the same in the final quarter, with the Saints slotting another four and the Burras struggling to hit the scoreboard.
Burras coach Jaye Macumber said his side lacked accountability.
“The Saints midfield got completely on top of us in the second half,” he said.
“They came out well organised and well drilled with a lot of intensity.”
Macumber said the Burras had a significant amount of sore bodies, but that was no excuse.
“They deserved the win and we deserved to lose,” he said.
“We will go into training to single in on recovery.”
Macumber said the side would undergo a video review of the game against the Saints to determine where the mistakes had been made.
“We will try and eliminate the mistakes we made last week,” he said.
Macumber said Adam Schache had his best game for the club and John Delahunty tagged Jacob Cooke-Harrison well, restricting the marksman to only two majors.
“Our leadership group will expect changes for the game against Ararat,” he said.
“The way the Saints played was a credit to them.”
Saints coach Shayne Breuer said the team had taken a humble approach into the tie.
“We just came into the match wanting to be competitive,” he said.
“We are still working on stuff from the start of the season because it needs to be improved further.
“Burras are a big bodied team and it takes a lot to match them.”
Breuer was proud of his side’s efforts.
“I am just wrapped we could come away with the four points,” he said.
“Every player played their role as expected.”
The midfield battle was heralded by both coaches.
“Jacob Cooke-Harrison played well. He only scored twice but he did the little things that can get you across the line,” Breuer said.
“We got Burras on a good day for us.”
The Saints side has a lot of young talent coming through the club ranks in 2016.
Breuer said his aim was to try and blood as many young players as possible.
“We have a good senior group that can act as role models for the young players,” he said.
“I’m absolutely wrapped to get the four points, it takes a lot to stay in the top five and these games are the ones you must win.
“It’s great to see the guys improving week-in week-out.”
Sam Clyne and Fergus O’Connor were the best for the Saints, while Justin Garth and Adam Schache battled hard for the Burras.
Minyip-Murtoa won the reserve grade fixture 10.9 (69) to Saints’ 4.7 (31) while the Saints were too strong in the under 17s 17.9 (111) to 0.3 (3).
The Saints’ under 14s triumphed 7.12 (54) to 3.4 (22).
The story ‘Burras battle Saints’ in the Monday, May 30 print edition of the Mail-Times has incorrect three-quarter-time scores for this match. The Mail-Times apologises for the error.