Aberfeldie has held on to beat Yarraville Club in a major VTCA boilover

Bottom-placed Aberfeldie has put a dent in VTCA Senior Division grand finalist Yarraville Club’s finals hopes with a stunning upset and kept its relegation fight alive.

Sohan Boralessa in action for Aberfeldie. Picture: Julian Smith

The VTCA Senior Division relegation battle is heating up after Aberfeldie pulled off one of the upsets of the season on Saturday.

Abers knocked off Yarraville Club in a stunning boilover at Hansen Reserve, completing a 33-run victory over last season’s grand finalist.

Playing the entire season without a home ground, Abers sit last but equal on 15 points with Keilor and six points behind Druids with four games remaining.

Abers coach Kieran Gray was rapt with the win and his team’s improving form.

“We feel like we’ve been playing well enough to win three or four but just didn’t get the rub of the green,” he said.

Tom Godsell in action for Aberfeldie.

“Hopefully we can get another couple of wins in the last four games, if we keep playing like this, and it lets us stay up.

“We felt a win wasn’t far away. Everyone chipped in and the wickets were shared around, it was a real team performance, which was really pleasing.”

Skipper Craig Sheedy and Tom Godsell were superb in the win, contributing 44 and 50 respectively with the bat as well as 2-22 and 2-29 with the ball.

While Gray was trapped lbw by Trent Lawford on the first ball of the match, every Aberfeldie batsman reached double figures as the visitors reached 5-165.

“Sheeds opened up and was able to bat for a good 20 overs and then Tommy was able to tough it out,” Gray said.

“He wasn’t hitting the ball particularly well but to get a 50 when the outfield was slow was really important.

Craig Sheedy in action for Aberfeldie.

“The outfield was fairly slow and there was a little bit in the wicket – it was a bit green – so we were thinking 150 was par so to get to 160 was good.”

Spinner Sohan Boralessa conceded just 14 runs in eight overs, to put immediate pressure on Yarraville Club’s chase, while 16-year-old paceman Will Wright picked up 2-27, including the key wicket of James Damjanovski.

When Gray got his revenge on Lawford, caught behind for a duck off three balls, the home side was 4-63.

They were never able to recover and finished 9-132.

“It’s always good to get one back occasionally,” Gray said.

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“He fended and nicked it to the keeper, so it was an actual leg spinners’ wicket. It’s my first wicket in a while, so it was good.

“Once we got the run-rate up to five or six, with that outfield, it was hard to hit fours and you had to go up and over, we were able to keep the field up and create chances.

“It’s Will’s first year out of under-16s, it’s his second game, he’s bowling really well and I reckon we’ve found a really good kid there.”

Aberfeldie will look to continue their giant-killing momentum when they face ladder-leader Sunshine United on Saturday.