Werribee was fearing the worst when it trudged off the greens on Saturday afternoon.
The Bees had put up an admirable effort against finals-bound Moonee Valley in Bowls Victoria division 1 at Chirnside Park, taking two rinks and gaining four priceless points.
But they ultimately lost 75-62 – and the prospect of sinking further in the relegation mire was in the back of their minds.
They knew that second-last Altona Sports, the team that can consign them to relegation, was playing at the same time in what should have been a ‘gimme’ game against winless Preston-Reservoir, so the odds were stacked in favour of Sports.
Then came the news that left Werribee surprised and delighted at the same time – Preston-Reservoir had caused one of the upsets of the season, picking up their first win by beating Altona Sports. It meant the Bees maintained their 15-point gap on the relegation zone with two games to go.
“It was a shock to us,” Bees skip Snowy Barker said. “We would’ve thought Altona Sports would get at least 14 points and we’d be behind the eight-ball trying to catch them.
“Now we’ve got a 15-point break on them and if we can win one of our last two games, we’ll definitely avoid relegation.”
Werribee is playing better bowls than at any other point in the season.
It’s the opposite case for Altona Sports, which has nosedived after a promising start.
While the Bees have the tougher draw, they seem the most likely to pick up the points they need for survival.
“We’ve been a bit more consistent lately,” Barker said. “It was a pretty good effort against Moonee Valley.
“They’re in the top four, definitely a contender for sure. They’ve got a lot of good young blokes and a good front end, as well.
“We played well but just couldn’t sustain it.”
Barker, up five, and Dion Warnecke, plus four, were Werribee’s winning rinks, while Rob Panton was pipped by a shot. One rink hurt the Bees, with Mick O’Neil beaten by 21 shots.
Despite the brighter outlook, Werribee will be playing for survival in the last two rounds, starting with a trip to Sunbury on Saturday.
“Win one and it will be no drama,” Barker said.
