By Marcus Uhe
A fourth-quarter fade out from a young Berwick side saw them concede its best chance of singing the song for the first time on Saturday afternoon in the Eastern Football Netball League.
Berwick led by six points midway through the third term but conceded eight of the final ten goals of the contest to fall 23 points short against South Croydon, 7.8 50 to 10.13 73 at Cheong Park.
A first half scrap in which only three goals were scored – two for the home side and one for the visitors – gave way to more free-flowing football in the second, with both teams in the bottom half of the table eager for a win.
While Berwick is seeking a win to break the duck and fight to stay in the top flight, South Croydon is hoping to maintain its spot in the top six and qualify for a finals berth.
Sam Hilton-Joyce finished some quick ball movement from the defensive half from Deng Andrew and Lachlan Hollis to close the half-time gap from 14 points to eight early in the third, but the Bulldogs answered back straight away to restore their buffer.
A seven-point play saw Sam Woodward cut the lead to seven, and another shortly after from Majok Puok saw the Wickets tie the scores on the back of repeat entries and forward pressure.
A third on the bounce, from Woodward again, put the Wickers ahead by six, as the prospect of a breakthrough win began to materialise.
South Croydon hit back with the next two, restoring its six-point lead, before a dumping tackle from a Berwick defender saw tensions inflame.
A free kick was awarded against the Wickers in the defensive 50 and sparked a response from South Croydon, unhappy with the treatment its player received.
As players came together to dispute facts, Deng Andrew received a yellow card for a high hit and was banished to the bench, before South Croydon converted the resulting free kick and move 12 points clear in the 23rd minute.
The Wickers believed Elijah Roewer had answered back late in the term, but his running shot on goal from close range was deemed to have hit the post.
12 points was the margin at the beginning of the final term, and with each minute that passed, the significance of the opening goal of the quarter grew.
It was Roewer who stuck first, making amends for his blunder in the third term by converting a set shot, having won himself a free kick after being held.
South Croydon was working its way back into the contest, but could not convert the chances it was creating and kept Berwick in the fight as a result.
Noah Cannon prevented a certain goal with a desperate diving smother in a scramble back to goal with Bulldogs forward Thomas Taylor, and tension grew with each Bulldog miss.
Woodward had the chance to tie the scores in the 18th minute after the Wickers took the ball the length of the field in a flash, but his long shot on the run from distance hugged the near side and narrowly went the wrong side of the goal post.
Hilton-Joyce was run down with his sights on goal, and the Bulldogs shifted into protection mode, moving the ball slowly and taking time off the clock.
A slow play the length of the field presented a shot on goal, but Ashton Williamson came from nowhere to lay a crunching tackle that diffused trouble in his back half.
His defensive handball ran his side into trouble, and a lapse from Tom Brennan at the resulting stoppage allowed Jayden Cass to sneak goal side, and push the lead to 11.
The Bulldogs then goaled from the next centre bounce, adding two goals to the Berwick assignment in the blink of an eye in the 22nd minute.
A further two late in the quarter provided the confirmation, as the lead ballooned to out of reach.
While not the result the Wickers wanted, there were plenty of positives to take the performance.
Andrew’s intercept marking across half back was exceptional, and his absence was felt after his yellow card, while 73 points was the lowest score they have conceded through eight rounds.
Woodward finished with three goals in his return to the senior line up to lead the Wickers in the forward half, with veterans Brennan, Jesse Cirulis and Jordan Roberts among Berwick’s best.
Berwick welcomes Norwood to Edwin Flack Reserve in what presents on paper as their best chance of securing four points thus far in 2024.
Norwood sits ninth, one place ahead of bottom-placed Berwick in 10th, with only a single win to show for their season.
