In a Ballarat Football Netball League A-grade battle between the top two teams, East Point clinched the lead in the third term only to go down by a single goal, 45-44, at Clarke Oval on Saturday. 

Sunbury coach Adam Boldiston said his players had expected a tough game against an experienced East Point outfit, but the conditions added to the challenge.

“It was a hard slog,” Boldiston said.

“The court was quite slippery after a lot of rain so it was definitely a different kind of game, it wasn’t a fast-paced game.”

Boldiston said his key messages going into the final quarter had been to go back to basics, do the hard work, be tight and be accountable.

“The girls just really rallied,” he said.

“They worked great man-on-man pressure in the last quarter to help grind out the win for us.”

While goaler Emma Farrell was a key return for East Point, helping Kate Burt in attack, Sunbury brought in goaler Amanda Cusack from B grade to help fill some gaps in its line-up. The Lions’ injured Aila Pera also played in her second game back.

The changes to the squad meant some experimentation with combinations. 

“Nobody could really dodge or execute hard, fast drives or turn and stick landings and that,” Boldiston said.

“But for Amanda Cusack to stand up under pressure and shoot 41 goals under those conditions was good and Tarryn Munro did a good job through the middle.”