Seagulls hit reset for semi swoop

BARWON Heads coach Mitchell Herbison admits he found it hard to find faults after his side almost completed a qualifying final upset of Geelong Amateur. After missing finals last year and coming up against a team gunning for a fourth straight flag, Barwon Heads made all the early running to lead by 22 points at halftime. But after Ammos found a way in the final quarter, flexing their big-game muscles to clinch a 12-point win. “I think our pressure from the start was really good and our willingness to work for one another was really hard to fault,” Herbison said. “But, we’ve got to play more than a half of footy to get a win in finals.” Herbison described the loss as a “learning curve” that will shape the rest of their premiership campaign after earning the second chance by finishing in the top-three. “We came with a real focus to putting some pressure on them, that allowed us to win the footy and spread and I guess get the game on our terms a little bit in that first half,” he said. “It was obviously disappointing not to get the result. I think our effort today was really good — it was probably that little bit of polish in the second half that we lacked. “They’re a quality side and it’s hard to keep them down for four quarters.” Herbison, along with Wayne Barrett and Chris Martin, kicked two goals each, while Zach Gubbins and Cameron O’Leary were among the standouts for the losers. Barwon Heads will now play a knockout semi final next Sunday to keep its premiership hopes alive. “It’s a great experience to play in finals. It’s the first final for a lot of these boys, Herbison said. “We’re not going to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves for too long, it’s a matter for preparing for next week now.”