THE Morwell Pegasus renaissance gathered momentum at the weekend following a “huge result” on the road against State League division two south-east ladder leader Springvale White Eagles.
Pegasus earned a 2-2 draw in one of the toughest away games on the fixture, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit to pick up an important competition point in sloppy conditions.
Coach Dale White said he would have gladly taken the result pre-game, but after witnessing his side’s dominance on the park believed three points went begging.
“Before a ball was kicked I certainly would have accepted it… but based on what I saw I’m disappointed. We dominated from start to finish, there was only one team winning that game and that was us,” he said.
“If you’d been a neutral you would have said it was opposite (the respective ladder positions).
“I’m very pleased but we just couldn’t finish our chances.”
Two defensive lapses put Pegasus on the back foot early, but Morwell’s control of the game paid dividends on 35 minutes when a Steve Maselli-free kick found Max Etheridge who made no mistake from close range.
Down 2-1 at half-time, White’s message was simple.
“Just continue what you’re doing and there’s goals here,” he said.
Pegasus’ persistent pressure culminated in a second goal after the break when Maselli latched on to a long ball, jinked past his marker and found the net to make it 2-2.
Marquin Smith was denied by the width of the white line when his vicious shot ricocheted off the upright, and White Eagles goal keeper, only for the ball to trickle along the goal face for several metres without crossing the point.
The Morwell men were also thwarted by the linesman’s flag with a goal denied for a shove observed by the referee’s assistant.
With a settled squad and a devastating strike force at its disposal, Pegasus is well positioned heading into two crucial matches against 10th-placed Diamond Valley, which sits one point behind Morwell, and bottom team Doveton.
“That’s two massive games; if we can win them we’re safe (from relegation) and we can kick on,” White said.
“The spirit’s good… it’s going to take a very good team to beat us now… or we’ve got to be very complacent.”
Pegasus hosts Diamond Valley on Saturday at Ronald Reserve from 3pm.
