WERRIBEE Tigers are hurting after yet another downer in a Victorian Football League western derby.
The Tigers were seemingly on track for their first win over arch rivals Williamstown since 2008 when they held a 17-point lead midway through the last quarter at Avalon Airport Oval on Sunday, only to see the never-give-in Seagulls produce a late show to snatch an incredible seven-point win in time-on.
Click on the image below for our picture galllery of the big game.
Tigers coach Scott West told the Weekly his players took the loss hard. He will work with them to refocus their minds on the job for a crucial encounter with Coburg Tigers on the back of a short six-day break at the Coburg City Oval this Saturday.
“It was a bit of a heartbreaker – that happens,” West said.
“[I have to] make sure the players stay upbeat.
“They were terribly disappointed after the game and so they should be.
“We’ll keep them enthused and ready to go for next week.”
The Tigers came out like a team possessed in the first term to take a massive 39-point lead into quarter-time.
They were dominating the clearances in the first 30 minutes and found a clear avenue to goal in the form of the hard-working Ben Warren.
No lead is safe in the VFL this season, particularly where the Tigers are concerned.
Just as much as the Tigers have managed to chase down the seemingly impossible deficits, they have also been prone to let a lead slip within a game.
“I guess that’s the way it goes in footy,” West said. “It ebbs and flows and Willy were the same.
“It’s just the way the game goes and sometimes a team gets a mini run on.”
West is not concerned by the Tigers’ hot and cold runs that have occurred within games on a regular basis this season. He prefers to get to the root of the problem and on Saturday it was a lack of pressure in the contested situation during the second and third terms.
“You’ve got to worry about where the core of the problem is, not the result of the problem,” he said.
“We were beaten in stoppages in the second and third quarters where they were able to get back in the game. That’s something we’ll have to address.”
Warren’s six goals were a standout for the Tigers.
“If he keeps playing this well we won’t have him for too much longer,” West said.
“It’ll be terrific if he can get another opportunity to prove himself at AFL level because he’s been terrific for us and deserves it.”
There were also strong performances from Leigh Harding, Ben Sharp, Sam Gibson and Cam Pederson.
The Tigers are clinging to eighth spot at this early stage in the season with a 2-3 record.
Meanwhile, former Geelong and Gold Coast Suns forward Nathan Ablett featured for the Tigers’ development squad on Sunday and booted two goals in his side’s 17-point loss.
SCORES
Seniors: Werribee Tigers 15.13 (103) lt Williamstown 17.8 (110). Werribee Tigers: Goals: B. Warren 6, L. Hansen 3, R. Castello 2, M. Lynch, J. Purton-Smith, B. McKinley, S. Gibson. Best: B. Warren, L. Harding, B. Sharp, S. Gibson, C. Pedersen.
Development: Werribee 7.13 (55) lt Williamstown 10.12 (72). Werribee: Goals: N. Ablett 2, J. Treloar, T. Ruffles, W. Martiniello, J. Tom, M. Sodomaco. Best: T. Ruggles, J. Mather, W. Martiniello, B. Moloney, J. Treloar.
