Heroic win for Cats | Gympie Sport | Local Sports in Gympie

Codey Warhurst

AFTER staging a remarkable victory over Noosa Division 3 at home last weekend, the Gympie Cats AFL side knew it was essential to back it up.

And proving the breakthrough win was no fluke was far easier than some may have thought as the Cats easily accounted for Caloundra at home at the weekend.

The Cats were in formidable form in wet conditions, winning the encounter by a commanding 84 points.

The final score was Cats 14.13(97) over Caloundra 1.7(13).

Cats coach Hugh Stewart was understandably riding a high after the weekend's game.

“We had a talk before the game and we knew we had to string two wins together,” he said. “Otherwise, the first win would have meant nothing.”

The Cats seized control right from the beginning of the first quarter, firing across the field to immediately contain Caloundra.

Scoring seven unanswered goals turned up the heat on Caloundra, and the visitors appeared to be rattled by their slow start.

For the mass of Gympie supporters overlooking Six Mile Oval, it was a dream start.

But with all dreams, things can go slightly wrong, and the Cats began to slip a little in the second quarter.

Caloundra used the opportunity to edge its way back into contention, but the Cats bounced back and regained control.

“I think in the second quarter we were guilty of over using the footy,” Stewart said.

Despite the momentary lapse, the Cats dominated the remaining half with a return to their original game plan.

“We put our foot down,” Stewart said.

A worrying sign for the Cats' future opponents is that even with a small lapse, Caloundra only managed to convert one goal - instead having to bank on a series of single points to build a lacklustre score.

Reflecting on the game, Stewart said an entire team effort was responsible for the heroic victory.

Players to receive a special mention included Jason Kent, Adam Hendry, Jye Robertson, Blake Newson, Zac Dullard, Charles Ready and Bill Mitchell.

Stewart credited Newson and Dullard for their strong performances despite their youth, and highlighted the magnificent efforts of Mitchell and Ready in collecting four goals each.

The Cats have now set their sights on Maroochydore this weekend, and continuing their winning momentum. And players are hungry with news the side has been freed from being shackled to the bottom of the ladder to now be in fifth ahead of Caloundra.