In a scrappy Anzac Day clash at Alfredton Oval today, Ballarat came close to surrendering a 49-point three quarter time lead over East Point to sneak home by just 15 points.

For the majority of the match, the Swans were in utter control, at one stage kicking eight goals in a row while holding the Roos goalless for a combined two quarters of footy.

Although the final scoreboard read 11.18 (84) to 10.9 (69) in Ballarat's favour, it failed to tell the true story of the match, a match that had Roos supporters daring to dream of a miracle comeback.

Ballarat was  on top for the first three quarters, taking a 49-point lead into the last break.

What happened next came as a genuine shock to all watching on.

East Point slammed on six goals in 15 minutes to bring the margin within three goals, two of which came off the boot of big forward Liam Rigby.

However Ballarat steadied in the dying minutes under intense pressure to hold on to a 15-point win.

"It just shows you can't afford to take your foot off the pedal for even one minute, but I was happy with the way we hung on right at the end," Ballarat coach Ash Baker said.

For East Point coach Glenn Wilkins, it was a matter of taking heart out of his side's fighting ability, but not being content with the overall effort.

"There are a lot of positives to take out of it, the way we fought on and played some really good footy will give the boys confidence," he said.

"We just lacked composure with the ball and butchered the ball. Our skill level really hurt us in that second and probably third quarters."

Both sides have tough encounters next week, with Ballarat clashing with reigning premiers North Ballarat City on Saturday night, while East Point faces Sunbury on Saturday.

IN THE other match for the day, Bacchus Marsh claimed bragging rights over arch rivals Darley in a thrilling encounter at Darley Park.

Despite leading for most of the day, it looked as though the Cobras were going to be overrun by the Devils when the margin was reduced to just five points midway through the last term.

However the much-improved Bacchus Marsh steadied and ran out 10.14 (74) to 8.14 (62) winners.

The result has Darley winless after two matches, an equation that will surprise many and leave new coach Jarrod Edwards searching for answers.

The Devils will be desperate to get on the board against Sebastopol next week, while Bacchus Marsh and Lake Wendouree promises to be an enticing clash of the 2014 big improvers.