By ADEM SARICAOGLU
THE Western Jets are one step closer to finals footy in the TAC Cup after surviving a late North Ballarat Rebels surge at Eureka Stadium on Sunday.
The game was a classic tale of two halves, with the Jets storming out to a 17-point buffer by quarter time before extending it out to 36 at the half.
With eight goals on the board to the Rebels’ two, a calm Ballarat day quickly turned sour for the Jets in the second half as heavy rain began tumbling down, completely changing the dynamic of the game.
And it didn’t take long for that shift to manifest itself on the scoreboard, as the Rebels slowly whittled down their deficit with the only two goals of the third quarter.
By three-quarter time the margin still looked comfortable for the Jets at 21, but the last term was far from a cake-walk, as the home team stormed home with all the ascendancy.
North Ballarat again kept the Jets goalless and managed to hit the scoreboard six times.
However, the Rebels shot themselves in the foot with poor kicking and by game’s end had fallen just one straight kick short of victory.
Region manager Shane Sexton agreed it was a game his side could ill-afford to drop, with the Jets hanging onto sixth place with no guarantee of staying in the top eight.
“It was a typical Ballarat day in the winter,” Sexton said.
“A tough game, especially in the second half – but we had a really handy lead at half time, thankfully, and managed to get passed the post at the finish.
“We didn’t have nearly as many opportunities in the second half, the ball was pretty much played between the arcs and in their forward line, but we hung on.”
William Krithararis’ three goals proved vital for the Jets in the end, while usual suspect Jake Greiser was given best-on-ground honours in a performance that included a goal of his own.
However, it was the likes of Mitch Norton, James Sicily, Brett Bewley and Connor Menadue that caught Sexton’s eye on Sunday.
“Connor Menadue was very good all day, so we were very pleased with him,” Sexton said.
“Greiser’s last three quarters were very good and he was important in the second half.
“Sicily had a patchy game but he contributed during the course of the game on a number of occasions, so he would have been there or thereabouts as well.”
The Jets will again be on the road this Saturday to face the Oakleigh Chargers.
