REIGNING premiers Balranald have had their first loss of the season, going down to a determined Woorinen side by eight goals.
Roos playing coach Jess Parry said the weekend’s game was a loss her team “didn’t need to have”.
“The way we played, we didn’t deserve to win,” she said.
“As a team we had way too many undisciplined errors and were too inaccurate under the ring.
“Woorinen definitely came to play, and we were a bit slow starting after the bye (the previous week) and have acknowledged that we have areas to improve on before next weekend.”
Both the Roos and the Tigers started strongly, going into the first break at eight goals a piece. But the Tigers were able to break away in the second quarter, giving themselves a six-goal buffer by half-time.
“We managed to find a good groove during the second quarter and then were very consistent with our defensive pressure, which made us gain more ball,” Woorinen’s playing coach Tayla Bennett said.
Despite being in deficit, the Roos fought back in the third quarter, making up some ground and getting within three goals of the Tigers.
But, with victory within reach, Woorinen were determined not to let the opportunity to beat the premiership team slip through their fingers.
“We stayed composed and pushed through that momentum swing, going back to the basics and executing them well,” Bennett said.
“We relied on our fitness and our execution of the ball to get us through – it proved that we can run out a fast-paced four quarters.”
Tigers defenders Tessa Demaria and Rachel McLaughlin were among the best players on the court, shutting down the Roos shooting duo of Parry and Ella Mirtschin.
“Full credit to Woorinen and the way they play the game, but I know it was far from our best performance and I’m sure we will bounce back in coming weeks,” Parry said.
The Roos will be looking for a fairly convincing win against Koondrook-Barham in round 4, while the Tigers get a week’s rest before hosting the Raiders in round 5.
FINAL WHISTLE:
Balranald 37
Woorinen 45
