Border Mail |NORTH Albury coach Jason Akermanis lauded his team's ability to withstand pressure after it held off a gallant Wangaratta Rovers by 16 points at W.J. Findlay Oval on Saturday.
After trailing for most of the match, the Hawks charged home late to close the deficit to five points with less than 10 minutes left on the clock.
But late goals to Ryan Polkinghorne and Dan Leslie proved decisive as North Albury held its nerve to clinch its third victory of the season.
"It got tight but to the boys' credit they were able to hold off the storm," Akermanis said.
"Wangaratta Rovers got on a roll in the second and last quarters and were super accurate.
"They hardly missed for the day.
"We found a way to win though and that's important for a young side like us."
North Albury charged to a 26-point lead at the last change thanks to some clever forward play from Kristian Cary, Josh Lloyd and Dan Leslie and the silk of Nick Holman in the midfield.
