Warrnambool Rangers' leading goal scorer Ryan Bail believes his side has the depth to make it one of Ballarat and District Soccer Association's best this year.
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Hitting the road on Sunday, the Rangers secured a 3-2 win over fellow top-four division one team, Bacchus Marsh 3-2.
"It finally showed how good we actually are this year," Bail, 22, said. "How solid our team is and how good our depth is."
With players in-and-out of the squad due to COVID-19, illness or injury, Bail said the Rangers' ability to rotate players through its starting line up would hold it in good stead as the season wore on.
"The more games we get under our skin at the moment, we're able to gel," he said. "It was good to have a close game. We've either won by a lot, or were smashed one game. It was a good wake up for the squad to find out where we actually are. We definitely know we're a top four team this year. We just need to keep showing up each weekend like we did and prove it."
Bail opened his account early with a header in the second minute, as the Rangers dominated the opening half.
"Our defence held up really strong in the first half," Bail said. "Then Owen (Kirby) scored an awesome one-on-one goal, taking on about four or five people."
Down 2-1 at the break, Bacchus Marsh soon levelled with a goal off a set piece, though a crucial penalty save by Rangers' keeper Cam Pyke stopped the home side taking the lead.
Bail secured the match winner in the 80th minute, his shot finding the bottom corner of the net.
The Rangers move into third after the win, but Bail isn't putting stock in ladder positions when the team welcomes Daylesford and Hepburn United to Jones Oval on Sunday.
"A couple years ago they were a very strong side, so we've got to take each game as it is at the moment and not look at where teams are on the ladder," he said. "Just getting the numbers down to training and keep putting in the hard work, that will pay off."
In the South West Victorian Football Association, Warrnambool Wolves maintained its perfect division one record with a 3-0 win over Hamilton, while Port Fairy's women's outfit celebrated a big result in its first-ever home game, downing Corangamite Lions 9-1.