Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s goal line effort helps Saints snatch huge win over Geelong

Geelong was storming home in its clash with St Kilda when a last-gasp effort on the goal line helped the underdogs grab a huge victory.

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s golden boot saved St Kilda from a fast-finishing Geelong in a Saturday night thriller at Marvel Stadium.

The Saints stormed out to a 41-point lead in the third quarter before the Cats clicked into gear and ultimately fell just short in a 15.8 (98) to 13.13 (91) nailbiter.

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Geelong kicked four goals to one in the final quarter which was very nearly five at a crucial point in the match.

Cat Brad Close looked to have cut the lead back to three points with a goal off the ground before a score review deemed Wanganeen-Milera’s boot to have touched the ball last.

“He was strong straight away knowing he’d touched it,” Jack Riewoldt said of Wanganeen-Milera on Fox Footy.

“It is clearly a game of inches.”

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera just got his boot to the ball. Photo: Fox Sports

It was an incredibly tight moment. Photo: Fox Sports

Kangaroos great David King added: “That’s amazing, isn’t it? That is unreal.”

Geelong continued to push but St Kilda maturely held off the barrage of inside 50s to claim a seven-point win.

After a below-par first half, Geelong came hard at St Kilda in the third quarter and looked like it could run over the top of the Saints.

The Cats had kicked three goals in a row and cut the margin to 22 points before Mitch Owens stood up.

He took a mark and converted his set shot to push his side’s lead back out to just under five goals.

There was a clear discrepancy in approach by coaches Chris Scott and Ross Lyon towards ball-winning midfielders.

Saints mentor Lyon applied tagger Marcus Windhager to Geelong star Max Holmes, while Scott allowed new Saint Jack Macrae to roam freely.

Tom Stewart’s injury was a huge blow to the Cats. Photo: Michael Klein

Windhager did well to keep Holmes from his brilliant best while also having a terrific night on the offensive end himself.

Macrae collected the footy at will, accumulating 35 disposals to go with 11 tackles and nine clearances.

Geelong will sweat on the fitness of five-time All-Australian defender Tom Stewart after he was substituted out of the match.

Stewart, 32, landed directly on his right knee during the first quarter and took an extended period of time to get off the ground.

He reappeared at the quarter-time huddle with heavy strapping and started the second quarter but was taken out of the game in the early stages of the term.

Wanganeen-Milera and the Saints celebrate the epic upset. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Stewart’s setback followed the withdrawal of Bailey Smith (calf) in the hours leading into the match.

A clean, fast and ruthless St Kilda looked a completely different outfit in the first quarter to the one which lost heavily to Adelaide in Round 1.

The Saints kicked just four goals to halftime and seven to three-quarter time against the Crows but rattled home six in the first term on Saturday night.

Geelong had a strong five-minute patch during the first quarter but failed to put any scoreboard pressure on.

It took captain Paddy Dangerfield until just four minutes left in the quarter to touch the ball while Holmes gathered just one handball.

Despite St Kilda’s big lead and dominance around the ground, the Cats came storming home and Wanganeen-Milera’s boot proved crucial in the frenetic final minutes.

– NewsWire

Originally published as Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera’s goal line effort helps Saints snatch huge win over Geelong