The Blyth-Snowtown Cats are back in the hunt for that vital second spot on the premiership ladder after defeating the North Clare Roosters by 27 points at Clare on Saturday.
The Cats kicked to the southern end in the first term after they won the toss with the aid of a slight breeze in cold, fine conditions at the start of the game. Jarrod Gillings, Nick Humphrys and Shay Clifford were a few handy inclusions for the visitors.
It was a tight contest early before Clifford received a free, kicked to half-forward, Adam Price trapped the footy, found Nick McCormack on the canteen flank who marked, played on and goaled from 25 metres out.
Clifford got involved again soon after marking a clearing kick out of defence by the Roosters and bombing long to the hotspot where McCormack roved the footy and snapped his second major for the term.
At the 7-minute mark Brendan Pudney was given a free in the centre, went short to Craig Jaeschke who bombed long to full-forward, Tom Swearse roved the crumbs off the pack and snapped the locals first major with a clever check-side kick.
The Cats answered with Simon McCormack winning the tap at a ball-up to Robbie Franks who kicked inside fifty, Nick McCormack gathered, handballed to Gillings and he snapped truly from 30 metres out.
The fine conditions that had greeted the players at the start of the game had disappeared and the rain began to fall.
North got one back when John Nicholas gained possession of the footy on the wing, passed to Josh Hollitt who dodged around two Cats and delivered to Tyson Pawley. Pawley received a free and converted as the siren blew for the first huddle with the Cats 8 points up.
QUARTER TIME: BLYTH-SNOWTOWN 3.4 (22), NORTH CLARE 2.2 (14)
The wet conditions became very difficult for the players after the break with the skill level being tested to the limit on the dodgy track.
North Clare broke through at the 5-minute mark when Matt Ward grabbed the footy out of the mud, broke clear of a few ferocious Cats as they tried to tackle him, hit Pawley lace out on the chest with a good pass and he finished the job nailing his second goal for the day.
It was a real slog for the remainder of the quarter, the Cats were getting plenty of the footy but they lacked goal-kicking power with their forwards finding it difficult to get into the game.
It was no different at the other end of the ground, especially after Ashley Hentschke was moved onto the dangerous Pawley cutting him out of the game.
The Cats led by 3 points at half-time.
HALF TIME: BLYTH-SNOWTOWN 3.8 (26), NORTH CLARE 3.5 (23)
It was still raining after the long break as the Cats went forward with Clifford receiving another free for too high and making no mistake from the old tuck-shop pocket 25 metres out.
Away they went again with Clifford winning the footy across half-back, he found Troy Stirling on a long lead who kicked to the goal-square, Gillings gathered and snapped for goal but it went across the face.
The footy was knocked back in front of goal, Price tried to gather and in the process managed to get his boot to the ball and soccer it through for another goal to the visitors.
Blyth-Snowtown continued to persevere and they were rewarded when Alex Brackstone was given a free kick in the canteen pocket and threaded it through the middle from a tight angle.
The Cats had broken the game open in the abysmal conditions during the third term and entered the home straight 21 points in front.
THREE QUARTER TIME: BLYTH-SNOWTOWN 6.9 (45), NORTH CLARE 3.6 (24)
To say the final term was a major struggle would be an understatement as the footballers found it near impossible to handle the heavy, slippery ball.
The footy was that heavy that Hollitt marked it in the old tuck-shop pocket and failed to make the distance with his shot for goal from 30 metres out.
The only score for the quarter was when Stirling kicked through half-forward where Ryan Darling gathered, skirted around two Roosters on the complex flank, had a two-handed bounce, handballed to Gillings and he snapped his second six-pointer for the game.
To the relief of everyone out on the ground the siren finally blew to end the game with the Cats 27 points up putting them back in the hunt for a double chance in September.
FINAL SCORE: BLYTH-SNOWTOWN 7.9 (51) d NORTH CLARE 3.6 (24)
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