The only good news to come out of the weekend for Werribee is the knowledge it will not have to face Fitzroy Victoria for a long time in Bowls Victoria division 1.
The Bees confronted a promotion-hunting Roys at the peak of their powers and were comprehensively out-played 89-57 at Chirnside Park on Saturday.
It was a whitewash at Watton Street, the star-studded Fitzroy Victoria outfit claiming all four rinks and pocketing all 18 points on offer to further extend its lead at the top of the ladder.
This looks like being just another win for the Roys on their journey to the top flight.
“They were too good for us on the day,” Werribee skip Snowy Barker said. “They’re the top-of-the-ladder side, but we still didn’t expect to get beaten 18-zip.”
Werribee finds itself locked in a tense relegation battle.
The Bees can ill afford point-less games if they want to avoid the drop.
No one would have expected the Bees to beat Fitzroy Victoria, but, on home soil, they should have given a better account of themselves.
“We’re disappointed we didn’t get a rink win, there’s no doubt about that,” Barker said.
“Rob Panton’s rink got close in the end. We can’t do much now – we can’t dwell on it, we move on and now we focus on next week.”
The importance of this Saturday’s clash with bottom side Preston-Reservoir will be stressed in the lead-up.
It could be a season-defining game for the Bees.
Most clubs have extracted close to maximum points against the struggling Preston-Reservoir and the Bees will be desperate to produce a similarly emphatic result.
“We’ve got to be pushing for an 18-0 or a 16-2 win,” Barker said.
“We’ll fall way behind if we don’t achieve something like that.”
Meanwhile, Hoppers squeaked over the line 77-70 against Williamtown in a division 3 blockbuster on Saturday.
The victory has moved Hoppers to the top of the ladder, one point ahead of Deer Park.
Hoppers and Deer Park (2) will meet at the Hoppers club in a first-versus-second stoush on Saturday.
