Sunbury Lions had a massive reality check in their quest for a Ballarat Football League grand final spot.
The Lions entered the semi-final match against Bacchus Marsh with plenty of confidence, having won their past seven games.
What came next was possibly their worst quarter of football for the year. They conceded the first seven goals, allowing the Cobras to gain confidence and control of the game.
While the Lions kicked four late first-quarter goals, they still had a big task ahead of them.
They managed to get back into the game and reduced the margin to 13 points in the third quarter, but that was as close as they got.
With the game in hand, the Cobras put the icing on their cake, kicking the last four goals to win 21.12 (138)-14.6 (90).
Lions’ coach Rick Horwood said he didn’t see that first quarter performance coming.
“They were more aggressive, and it looked like we didn’t cope with the pressure put on us,” he said.
“They jumped us, and it was error after error. The endeavour and attack on the footy wasn’t there.”
While disappointed with the loss, Horwood said there was still some positives to come out of the game.
“We worked really hard to get back to 13 points,” he said. “We were beaten in all three areas on the ground, but to be able to rectify some of the issues shows great character to get back into the game.
“They then kicked into another gear.”
Horwood said there weren’t many Lions’ winners on the day, with Jack Landt, Tom Donoghue, Adam Short, Grant Valles and Mathew Medcraft named their best.
Having secured a double chance, the Lions now face Lake Wendouree in a preliminary final. Bacchus Marsh moves through to the grand final.
Horwood said they would look at the weekend’s game early in the week before turning their focus to the preliminary.
The Lions know another performance like Saturday will mean the end of their season.
The Lions’ reserves side also suffered a semi final loss. They will play East Point in a preliminary final.
