WILLIAMSTOWN CYMS has all but secured its finals berth after eclipsing Prahran Amateurs by seven points in a Victorian Amateur Football Association division 1 arm wrestle at Toorak Park on Saturday.
It was an old-fashioned game for sides chasing September football, with CYs knowing a loss would have dragged them back to the pack and seen Prahran leapfrog them on the ladder.
The stakes were high and the sides delivered an absorbing physical tussle in tough conditions.
CYs coach Mathew Montebello said he was proud of his players’ unwavering effort over 120 minutes.
“Things weren’t going to come easy,” he said. “We knew they were fighting for their finals spot, so it was always going to be tough. It was a hard-fought game because they’re a physical side and the ground was boggy.
“I was proud of the boys’ resilience and how they fought to keep our finals spot.”
Three unanswered goals in the first term helped CYs’ cause no end.
They had to stave off a number of Prahran challenges throughout the course of the game but responded each time to maintain a buffer.
“We held them off,” Montebello said. “If they kicked two in a row, we’d kick a steadier.”
Chris Cini was tough in the clinches to claim ‘best afield’ honours, while Dan Calman-Orr set the tone early with his defensive pressure acts.
Tommy Johnstone, a teenager in just his second senior game, capped a superb outing with a memorable goal.
Nic Holdsworth, one of the most consistent performers for CYs this season, must be starting to pique the interest of VFL club Williamstown after another stellar display.
Holdsworth trained at the Seagulls in the summer but was released back to CYs.
“They probably need to seriously have a look at him, especially now they’re going stand-alone,” Montebello said, alluding to the Seagulls’ imminent split with the Western Bulldogs.
CYs will come face to face with their hoodoo club, Whitefriars, at Whitefriars College Oval on Saturday.
Montebello cringes at some of the hidings CYs have received from the Friars on their home deck over the years and says his team is keen to get the giant monkey off its back.
“That’s all I heard about from the boys at preseason – [wanting to beat] Whitefriars at Whitefriars,” he said.
“Here’s the opportunity. We’ve got the team we think can do it. We’ve beaten them before [at home] so why can’t we do it out there?”
