Not this time, not again.
After two gut-wrenching one-kick losses, Williamstown CYMS was not about to lose in the same heartbreaking fashion for a third time in a row in the Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier C.
The CYs finally won a close one, beating Old Camberwell Grammarians by 11 points in an edge-of-your-seat clash at Fearon Reserve on Saturday.
CYs coach Mathew Montebello was relieved to see his team come away with victory in a close game.
“We’ve lost too many close ones this season and it’s been our own fault,” he said.
“You can go back and have a look and we could actually be 9-4 if we had’ve won the close ones we’ve had.”
With five rounds to go, Williamstown CYMS will have to be content with its 7-6 record, which has them in fourth place.
It was an important victory over Old Camberwell in a match dubbed an ‘eight-point game’ with both sides heading into the contest with an identical 6-6 record and eyeing off a spot in the finals.
By no means are CYs settled in a finals spot. They only need to look at Old Ivanhoe Grammarians, who started Saturday in third place and finished the day in sixth.
The CYs will meet Old Geelong in another eight-point game between the fourth and fifth sides on the ladder at Fearon Reserve on Saturday.
“Our next five games, four of the teams are sitting below us, but I think three of them have the ability to take our spot in the four,” Montebello said.
“Old Geelong is one of those teams.
“We’ve actually said our finals campaign, starting from last week, is an eight-week campaign.
“We’re now into round two of our finals campaign because all the games are like finals games and one loss would mean we’d get pushed out and someone else goes in.”
Williamstown CYMS fought back from a 20-point half-time deficit to overrun Old Camberwell.
The most pleasing aspect of the comeback win for Montebello was the youngsters stepping up and playing a significant part in the victory, including Jack Noonan and Jake Slee, who kicked four goals apiece.
“Normally it’s the Gray boys [Ben and Jack], or Russell Ackerly or Fin Adamson, the captain, to lift us up, but this time it was the young kids,” Montebello said.
“It was the younger brigade that set the standard and dragged us on, which is better because it means you’re getting a greater spread of guys who can lift us up and get us going.”
Noonan was best-on-ground for Williamstown CYMS. The midfielder seems to be getting better with every outing and his form has been recognised with selection for the Western Jets in the TAC Cup and Williamstown in the VFL.
“He’s a really talented kid who the Jets initially overlooked,” Montebello said.
“We managed to get him a stint with Williamstown in the VFL development league, he kicked two and did well and the Jets have picked him and he kicked three of their eight last game.
“He’s super talented, he finds the footy and moves with really strong running patterns and he’s prepared to do the hard yards.”
