OSCAR Cherry's stunning strike from near the sidelines and a second-half Michael Trigger winner has given Ballarat City its fifth consecutive win and moved it to within a point of being out of the NPL3 relegation zone.
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Unlike the English cricketers, rain couldn't dampen Ballarat City's charge from 2-0 down, as the playing-coach's 46th minute strike broke the deadlock and enabled the home side to a thrilling 3-2 win over Essendon
Four successive wins leading into this match had brought Ballarat City back from the brink of relegation, but the fifth looked a long way off when Essendon, which is also in a desperate bid to avoid relegation, scored twice in the first 20 minutes.
Earlier in the season, that would have spelled doom for Ballarat City, but Trigger's side is made of much sterner stuff now.
Striker Kenta Futami got one back just three minutes after Essendon had taken a 2-0 lead, but it was Oscar Cherry who produced the highlight slamming a long-range shot from a free kick into the back of the net in the 37th minute.
That goal proved to be the spur that Ballarat City needed and allowed them to go into half time full of confidence.
Trigger put the home team in front just one minute into the second half, which proved to be the final score of the game.
It was a tough last 20 minutes for City who were forced to defend for their lives after Shaun Owens was shown a second yellow card in he 73rd minute. For the remainder of the game City was forced to hold out the surging opposition with just 10 men, but they did just that to record an outstanding victory.
With three rounds to go in the NPL3 season, City now sits on 17 points, equal with Geelong and Essendon and just one point behind Beaumaris. It's just goal difference that has City on the bottom of the ladder with next weekend's clash with Box Hill United looming as the crucial game.
The final two matches of the year look tough with games against Caroline Springs George Cross, which sits second and is still in the running for the premiership, and North Sunshine Eagles which is third.
Interestingly, last season, it was City's 3-0 win over North Sunshine Eagles in the final game that allowed them to move ahead of the relegation zone. It is likely that the Eagles will be out of running for a top two spot by the time the two sides meet.
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