By ADEM SARICAOGLU
HOPPERS Crossing coach Darrel Brown has hit back at his club’s critics, re-affirming his side is more united than ever.
The Cats remain 10th with just one win to date in Senior Division Turf Cricket after narrowly falling short of victory against Brighton District at home over the weekend.
Despite his side’s poor start to the summer, Brown told Star morale is still high down at Hogans Road.
“With the guys, I like their fight at the moment,” Brown said.
“There’s a bit of talk we’re not together. With cricket everybody sees things from the outside, but they don’t know what’s going on internally and so they make those sorts of comments.
“But we have a pretty good team.”
Brown has also been keen to emphasise to his group the VTCA season is still far from over.
“The top order guys are just not getting starts, so come next week (away to Strathmore) we have to start winning,” he said.
“But at the same time I’ve told the guys there’s no need to panic at all. We’ve just got to keep delivering in our cricket.
“It’s as simple as that.”
After a very promising start to the 2012/13 season, the Cats have only won two games in this calendar year, including their lone win of the current summer against last-placed Keilor in October.
However Brown expects his young but talented side to get back on track in the second half of the season, beginning with the two-day Strathmore clash beginning this Saturday.
“I’m expecting the second half to be a lot better, and come next week it’s a crucial game that we have to win against Strathmore,” Brown said.
“They lost outright (to Bentleigh) but that’s not going to take anything away from them.
“They’re going to come out and look to prove that they belong in this league, but we have a lot to prove as well.
“We have a good, young cricket team. The only thing we don’t have is experience.
“The guys are still learning their cricket and they just don’t know how to build their innings, but the morale is absolutely brilliant.”
