By Will Spence
The Saints were marching in on the weekend, after North Ringwood recorded their first win of the season, sparking a pulse in their fight to avoid relegation for Robin Nahas’ squad.
The importance of the win and how much it meant to the entirety of the club was on display when all players from Seniors, Reserves, Under 19’s and Women’s team and Coaches joined in for a memorable singing of the song.
More importantly, the win against Vermont has given North Ringwood a chance at avoiding relegation, along with some hard-earned belief according to Nahas.
“Obviously it’s been a tough season with the win-loss ratio so to instil some belief in a group of kids that are getting whacked most weeks, was great to see,
“Hopefully we do stay in the premier division, for continued improvement from the kids.”
The club’s win-loss ratio outside the four walls might be of concern, however Nahas isn’t worried about external voices, only focused on developing his younger players as the Saints look to build something special.
“As a club we have been battered this year, so it was great for the whole club to be involved in the song, it was pretty special, we’ve worked hard for it,
“People will see the win-loss ratio and will have an opinion on how you’re going as a football club, inside the four walls we’re building and developing a lot of young kids for the future.
“The experience they’re getting in this division is only going to improve them.”
The mathematical equation is simple for Nahas’s squad, and with games against Berwick and Doncaster to come in the next month.
“We’ve got to win two of the next four, we’ve won one out of the last 14 and we understand it’s going to be difficult, but it just leaves the door open a tad,
“But I feel like now they (players) believe it’s possible, obviously if we lost on the weekend in a tight one, I’m not sure what it would’ve done to the kids,
“But to have this success and see the look on their faces it was great to see,
“Getting relegated is not something I signed up to do and it’s definitely something I’m going to try and avoid”.
North Ringwood were trailing for most of the game against the fast-starting Vermont, but a seven-point buffer at three quarter time was all that separated the Saints from their first win. After struggling to take their opportunities in third quarter, the Saints responded in the final quarter with some individual brilliance from Jason Sharp icing the game from outside 50.
“I thought our third quarter we left a few out there and we had a 20-minute period where we couldn’t capitalise,
“We were able to capitalise in that last quarter kicking three goals straight, Luke Patterson’s defensive run and then offensive run to get to the contest and kick a goal was fantastic, Jake Ireland’s individual effort to put us in front and then Jason Sharp’s ability to kick one from 50 out was fantastic.
“As a collective all 22 players, played their role, however that win wasn’t for the 22, that was a whole club win.”