By Tyler Lewis
It’s the little wins that Berwick coach Clint Evans is looking at this year.
At three-quarter-time, trailing 83-9, Berwick was at cross-roads… roll over against Balwyn, or fight back and show some ticker.
The youthful Wickers chose the latter, competing hard to the final siren, coming away with a brilliant final term victory.
The home side booted four goals to the Tigers one, finishing the game with something to build on.
Charlie Muley was the only multiple goal-kicker in the 5.7 (37) to 13.13 (91) defeat.
Though it was the final term that reflected on the scoreboard, Evans was most pleased with the third term, after he gave his side a little bake at the main change.
“It was more probably half time, I had a fair crack at them,” he said.
“It was probably the harshest I have been on a young group, our first half – because they’re getting a bit tired or whatever – we just didn’t play the way we wanted to.
“The wind was shocking, they had it in the first and we held them well and then they kicked a few late, then in the second we had the wind – it was howling – and we were just terrible.
“I just said we need to work harder rah rah rah, and then in the third quarter from the one-minute mark to the 21st we held them to one goal.
“Then just as a young group I think they kicked four or five in about six minutes on us, then the last we actually played alright.
“The big difference with us is when sides get a run on they kick five or six in eight minutes, they really kill the game – that’s just a lack of experience.”
The strangle-hold for the first 20 minutes of the third paid off in the final stanza, as the Wickers managed to kick truly.
Evans is confident the reward started swinging as a result of an improved work-rate, while knowingly admitting the run home will be a challenge for his inexperienced outfit.
“It was more the work rate,” he said.
“At half-time we could’ve got done by 100 points, to their credit, they’ve done it all year – they had a dip.
“I think we had 13 guys that had played udder 15 senior games, it’s a fair chunk when you look at it like that.
“We’re just getting games into these kids, we know over the last four or five games it’s going to be really hard, but we have to keep putting games into them and see what happens.”
The Wickers host ladder-leaders Noble Park this Saturday.
