Conditions were again difficult and the Saints didn't make things easy for themselves in the first half. Sloppy passing allowed the opposition to maintain possession and create chances.

Miscommunication between goalkeeper and defence provided an early opportunity for the first goal and Ballarat Red's striker put away an easy chance.

This goal motivated the Saints and they began to keep more possession and threaten the Ballarat goal. Dylan Nulty's movement off the ball and Costa Teneka's tenacity saw both go close to opening the Saint's account yet they were unable to convert their chances.

The Saints found themselves with a number of free kicks due to Ballarat's poor discipline.

This gave Tobias Schmidt the chance to deliver some of his quality crosses, however, Daylesford failed to make the most of these promising situations.

With the scoreline one-nil at half time the team talk focussed on remaining calm in possession, keeping structure and going in harder for the ball. These words were heeded by the players as they produced a more commanding display of football in the second half.

The Saints held possession well and Ivan Carter's venture into midfield was the catalyst for this.

Jack Nulty battled hard for the team as he was consistently first to the ball and demanding more of those around him. Stuart Bates and Daniel Trotter offered solid support in defence as the Saints pushed hard for an equaliser.

The breakthrough finally came as Costa Teneka's awareness in the box allowed him to slot home a well-timed strike.

A draw seemed the likely outcome as the second half wore on. Yet, an offside decision went against the Saints and the Red's striker pushed on to score the winner for Ballarat in contentious circumstances.

Score: Ballarat Red 2 to Daylesford 1

Goal: Costa Teneka

Best: Ivan Carter, Costa Teneka, Stuart Bates, Jack Nulty, Daniel Trotter