With the Bombers entering the June 27 clash locked in a congested race for the top six, they would have been all-too aware of the need to stop the rot after four successive losses heading into the contest.
In a determined showing, the home side at Kyabram Recreation Reserve on Saturday made an early statement on the way to a 14.14 (98) to 9.10 (64) victory, avenging an earlier-season defeat to the Swans and collecting four priceless premiership points.
Kyabram could hardly have asked for a better start, piling on 5.7 while restricting the Swans to two behinds in a dominant opening quarter.
The Bombers’ relentless pressure and clean ball movement opened up a 35-point lead at the first break and ultimately proved the difference.
Ky’s Coby McCarthy got his side off the mark in the opening minutes, before Rhys Clark provided a quick-fire double for the home team – hitting the scoreboard twice alongside strikes from Aidan Robinson and Mackinley Ayton.
The Swans duly steadied after quarter-time, matching the Bombers through the second term before producing their best football after the main break.
Swans coach Linc Sullivan felt his team responded following the interval, while conceding it was effectively chasing the game throughout after the hosts gained what proved to be an unassailable foothold on proceedings before half-time.
“I thought we started slow, which has been a bit of an element of our form,” he said.
“They kicked five goals (in the first quarter) and we struggled to play our style, they were very good on their pressure and around the ball.
“When it went forward, they had some good, big targets to pull it out of the sky and kick some goals.
“They had us at arm’s-length for the rest of the game really.”
The visitors kicked 3.6 to 2.2 in the third quarter to trim the margin to 24 points and briefly threaten a comeback, but Kyabram had the answers as it got its campaign back on track.
“I felt from half-time onwards was a case of us showing what we had needed to from the very start of the game,” Sullivan said.
“We couldn’t get the style we wanted in the first quarter-and-a-half and we just adjusted our defensive style after half-time to allow us to put more pressure on each player and on the ball.
“We upped our pressure around the ball and our work rate I felt improved, which got us back into the game, but we couldn’t capitalise when we had shots on goal.”
The Bombers responded with a composed final term, booting 4.3 to 3.2 to extinguish any hopes of a Swans revival and run out convincing winners.
Fittingly, it was the free-scoring Clark who contributed his side’s final two majors of the game, in what was a memorable outing for him.
Meanwhile, Ayton, Riley Ironside, McCarthy and captain Robinson chipped in with two goals apiece in an even attacking display, as Kaine Herbert got in on the act with one of his own too.
After arresting the slide up against the Swans in round 12, the resurgent Kyabram will have the opportunity to put together back-to-back wins against Rochester next time out.
Meanwhile, another compelling juncture in the finals race will be played out at Princess Park this weekend as the Swans host Mooroopna – with both sides harbouring designs of making the top-six.
8°C