WITh the carrot of a double chance dangling before them,
Williamstown dug deep in Saturday’s Lacrosse Victoria men’s state league
western derby to beat Footscray 18-15 in extra time at Fearon Reserve.
The Fearons knew their top-two spot was in jeopardy, so losing was not an option.
The ’Scray, competitive throughout and with their noses in front
at various stages, would have liked to claim the scalp of the defending
premiers, but it was not the be all and end all, as they are consigned
to finish in the bottom half of the top four regardless.
“To Footscray’s credit, they played really well, but in the end it
came down to our guys having a bit more hunger and probably realising
that we needed to win to cement first or second to give us the double
chance,” Fearons; coach Jai Carroll said.
“We probably had more on the line than Footscray did and it gave us a bit of motivation towards the end.”
Williamstown has been a dominant force in Victorian lacrosse for years.
Last year, they won five out of five on grand final day, including an 18-10 domination of Malvern in the state league decider.
Their stranglehold is sure to be tested when the finals arrive.
The four already confirmed finalists have a genuine chance of
lifting the shield in what has turned into the tightest premiership race
in memory.
“This finals year is going to be very exciting – there’s no outstanding side,” Carroll said.
“The top four have all won and lost to each other.
“This year it will come to on the day, who’s on and who’s off, and there’s no reason why third or fourth can’t win it.”
Heartening for the Fearons is their response when challenged in big games this season.
They have featured in two extra-time games and won them both.
Skating on thin ice against the ’Scray late in the fourth quarter, Ben
Newman went on a scoring rampage with four goals in a row to seal
victory for the Fearons.
“We don’t get many challenges throughout the year, so when these
pop up, it’s good to see the boys show a bit of character when they’re
under the pump,” Carroll said.
Newman and Matthew Price finished with five goals apiece, while Darren Nicholas had two assists.
The game would hinge on the outcome of the face-offs, and the
Fearons had the numerical advantage in that area with Nicholas, Joel
Williams and Noah Jenney giving them first use.
“We had the luxury of having three face-offs up against Footscray’s one,” Carroll said.
“We basically just wore him down.”
The Fearons can lock in a double chance with a win away over second-last Chadstone on Saturday, while the ’Scray have the bye.
