Williamstown CYMS suffers last-quarter fadeout against Therry Penola in Victorian Amateur Football Association

WILLIAMSTOWN CYMS coach Mathew Montebello has drawn a line in the sand after his side was overrun by Therry Penola in Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier C on Saturday.

VAFA footy: Therry Penola V Williamstown CYMS. (L-R) Williamstown's Yuma Hemphill (revieving handball), Williamstown's Ryan Joy and Therry Penola's Matt Costello. Picture: Josie Hayden

WILLIAMSTOWN  CYMS coach Mathew Montebello turned the blowtorch on his side after it was overrun by Therry Penola in Victorian Amateur Football Association Premier C on Saturday.

The CYs had total control of the Lions in the opening half, playing arguably their best football since dismantling the Lions in last year’s Division 1 grand final.

Even at three-quarter-time, their eight-point lead looked enough to win as they lined up with a wind advantage in the final stanza.

But the home side, still hurting from last year’s 56-point thrashing in the decider, obliterated the CYs in the final 30 minutes to win, 17.7 (109) to 15.8 (98).

Montebello was left furious with his side’s demise in the last half hour.

“It wasn’t our fitness, it was our mental fitness, it was structural,” Montebello said.

“For the first three quarters we felt we had control of the game. It wasn’t about how we played throughout the day, it was how we lost the game.”

The 11-point loss left the CYs with a 1-4 win-loss record.

“The message after the game was ‘disappointed’,” Montebello said. “I expressed that to the playing group and I didn’t hold back.

“We’ve had two close defeats and two games we didn’t represent the club the way we should.

“We need to find that inner drive that can’t be coached.

“We win those two games we felt we’ve thrown away and we’re 3-2.”

Montebello said the CYs knew the Lions would throw everything at them.

“They put those numbers back and we didn’t adjust,” he said.

“They played with a chip on their shoulder, losing the grand final, and they didn’t want to lose on their home turf.

“Nick Ebinger (five goals), has a big future ahead of him — we knew they would keep ­double and triple-teaming him, so we had to stop kicking the ball to him.”

But the CYs could take positives from the first three quarters, skipper Ben Gray and midfielder Thomas Johnstone leading the way.

“He came back from last week from the VFL, and was clearly our best for the day,” Montebello said of Johnstone.

“The skipper, Ben Gray, was fantastic on Jarrod Bannister again, he completely shut him out until the last term when he got some good delivery.”

Montebello said his side, winless at home this season, had to lift against Old Haileyburnians this Saturday.