The Bombers’ class and persistency and ever reliable defence proved too much for the visitors at the finish in the 72-point win.
Mansfield was kept goalless from the fourth minute of the second quarter to one of the last kicks of the day as the Bombers conceded just four goals for the game while booting 15 themselves.
Like the previous week the scores were not an accurate gauge of the tightness of the game, but again Kyabram had the players to make it hurt on the scoreboard.
Forward pocket jack-in-the-box Kyle Mueller’s slow start to the season is now a distant memory with the goalsneak bagging his second haul of seven goals. He also missed a few so it could have been even better.
Kayne Pettifer bounced back to bag five majors with Mick Mattingly, Brad Mangan and 100-game milestone player Aaron Hayes the only other Kyabram players to raise a set of white flags on the day.
This was a win which could be dubbed ‘a real team effort’ without any arguments.
At some stage of the game every Kyabram player made some worthwhile contribution to the win.
Yes, that means there were no passengers and no doubt that pleased co-coaches Sam Sheldon and Paul Newman.
But some players did a little more than others.
Mobile Mattingly dominated for the four quarters on the ball with another display oozing class while Patrick Wearden, Nic Coulstock and Tom Holman were also prime movers.
Big Jake Reeves had a great duel with Mansfield man-mountain coach Andrew Browne and by the end of the game had things on his terms.
In defence Jordan Williams, Lachie Smith and Tom Sheldon showed the way along with Josh Pell and virtually shut down the Mansfield scoring for three quarters.
Brad Whitford, Luke Morris, Sam Sheldon and Brad Edwards also did their bit in the win and Jason Morgan and Zac Morris also had their share of possessions.
Josh Vick was a hamstring casualty from the game but has two weeks to recover before Kyabram hits the road to Seymour on Saturday week for its next challenge.
My best for Kyabram were: Mick Mattingly, Kyle Mueller,
Nick Coulstock, Pat Wearden, Jordan Williams, Jake Reeves, Tom Holman.
■Who would have thought a winless Kyabram reserves side playing the sixth-placed team would not only win but turn it into a percentage builder?
But that’s what the Bombers did on Saturday against Mansfield.
In a dominant display from start to finish the Bombers won by a whopping 95 points.
The only goal Mansfield kicked came in the dying moments of the game.
The Bombers got their drive from onballers and midfielders, ruckman Ben Napier, recruit Reid Crowe, Cade Mueller and Locky Dillon, who all had the ball on a string all day.
And up forward Jake Gascoyne ran amok with six goals in his best-ever game for the team.
Lucas Hanslow, Nathan Gillett, Mal Hedges, Steve Drake and Billy Gahan also did a lot of good work in the win, which should give the side some heart for future engagements while keeping the name of some players under the eyes of the senior selectors.
■Kyabram thirds looked as if they had a serious challenger on their hands in the first quarter of their clash with Mansfield.
But by game’s end Kyabram was virtually doing as it pleased with an 89-point buffer securing its fourth win for the season.
Mansfield’s three first-quarter goals were its only majors for the game in which Kyabram’s onball dominance set up the win.
Cooper Gentle dominated the ruck and onballers in Cooper Vick, skipper Mitch Gugliotti, Liam Dillon and Tom Burnett presented an endless supply of chances to the team’s forwards where big man Aidan Robinson dominated and Corey Walsh proved an elusive player.
The Bombers also had a star in Elijah Gillie off half back and through the midfield. He was in the action from start to finish.
Will Hill and Liam Dillon each booted three goals to keep the Kyabram score ticking over in what was a top team effort.
