By JARROD POTTER
GRIDIRON VICTORIA
HOLDING on by the skin of their teeth, The Berwick Diamonds gridiron team had to fight back to earn a narrow 28-24 win over the Geelong Buccaneers.
Defensive efforts bogged both sides down as neither could muster much early offence. A turnover on downs led to the Diamonds’ first real chance half-way through the first term as a 15-yard touchdown run from Sarah Mu set up the 6-0 lead.
It would extend to 14 by the main break as Bliss Love flew through the Buccaneers defence to earn the second touchdown, before Cat Bouwhis – switched onto offence from her usual place on the defence – made the two-point conversion.
The Buccaneers wouldn’t go away though – setting up their first touchdown in the third term before Cat Bouwhis caught her first touchdown and pushed the lead back out to 20-6.
The second half belonged to the Buccaneers though as the tempo lifted and the visitors scored three times unanswered to take the 24-20 lead with five minutes remaining.
Diamonds answered with a solid drive resulting in a quarterback sneak from Vanessa Roman at the one-yard line to take the lead back, before a two-point conversion flew to the safe hands of Bouwhis with the clock winding down. Geelong couldn’t muster another foray forward – after the Diamond defence held strong for one last important down – as Berwick kept the four-point lead at the final whistle.
The 3-1 Berwick Diamonds now take a bye before facing the Ballarat Kestrels at home on 30 November in their final regular season game.
