There were just 49 goals scored for the game, but at the final siren the Bombers were still sixth on the ladder with matches against Seymour (seventh and just four points behind it on the ladder) and Shepparton United (eighth) in the coming weeks.
They also face Mooroopna (third) and Shepparton (fourth) in the run to the finals, with Seymour having a similarly tough finish to its season.
At Mansfield on Saturday it was captain Stella Trezise who again led by example, working with Grace Burnett to restrict Mansfield to five goals in the opening half.
Kyabram led by 14 goals at the long break, but were outscored by five goals in the second half and eventually won the game 29-20.
Ava Pell was outstanding in the centre as the Bombers made few changes to its line-up during the important contest.
– In the A grade game it was 10th-ranked Mansfield against 11th-placed Kyabram, but the Eagles got the jump on their home court and led by seven goals at quarter time.
The Bombers couldn’t make up the difference, trailing by 11 at half time and by 16 at the final change. Despite outscoring its opposition by two goals in the final quarter (eight goals from Micaela Herbert helping) it was a 22-36 loss for the Bombers.
Herbert, who had already played a full B grade game, started the A grade contest at goal keeper and ended in goal shooter (finishing with 16 of the 22 goals).
Captain Jemma Hall, Abby Waasdorp and winger Steph Higgins were the Bombers best players in the loss.
Rose Cunningham was promoted from the Under 17 team and spent three quarters at goal keeper, while Ava Pell played relieved Isla Carver for one quarter at centre.
– Kyabram’s best win came in the B Reserve match and the team is only one game outside the top six after taking its sixth win of the season.
It will need to upset either top team Seymour or third-ranked Shepparton in the coming weeks in order to reach the finals (the other two games are against ninth-ranked United and Mooroopna, which is 10th).
Kyabram will need to hurdle Shepparton Swans and Echuca, which are sixth and seventh, in order to reach the finals.
On Saturday Under 17 goaler Jemae Miller played her second full game and supported shooter Elli Kiker in a passing role. Kiker shot 29 goals (19 in the second half) as her team steadily built a lead and won the game by 14, 41-27.
Kyabram led by three at quarter time and by four at the long break, before a 23-1-3 second half gave it the vital four premiership points.
Rachel McCormack was a star in the centre, while Tearna Filbey worked with Grace Burnett and Grace Kilpatrick in defence to restrict the Mansfield goalers.
– Kyabram won the B grade game by seven goals on the back of 45 goals from Micaela Herbert and a fantastic display of defence from Stella Trezise and winger Jazmin Whitford.
The Bombers led 16-8 at quarter time, then used the dominance of Herbert and goaling partner Hannah Newman to take a 13 goal lead into half time.
Despite being outscored by six in the second half the Bombers secured their third win of the season by using nine players in the victory.
The Bombers have a tough finish to the season, facing three of the top five teams in the final four weeks of home and away competition.
– Third-ranked Mansfield had the better of Kyabram from the outset of the Under 15 game, despite the efforts of defenders Jenna Quatrocchi, Melia Child and Mia Kilpatrick.
Mansfield won the game 39-14, with the Bombers best effort being in the first and third terms - Ella Hooper shooting nine of her 10 goals in these two quarters.
Mia Stockdale and Mia Lyons both had stints in goals alongside Hooper, but the Bombers could not put together a winning score.
