ILLAWARRA PREMIER LEAGUE
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Bellambi's maiden Illawarra Premier League triumph couldn't have come at a much better time.
After weeks knocking on the door, Greg Smart's men overcame Wollongong Olympic 2-1 on Saturday.
With a match against fellow cellar-dwellers Fernhill looming this weekend, the Rosellas received a massive confidence boost by claiming their first three points of the campaign.
"I think the last couple of weeks we have been thereabouts, and we finally cracked it," coach Greg Smart said.
"We have [been] building, and especially that Woonona game, we took a lot of confidence out of that and we got the reward on Saturday for it.
"We were up for the fight from the whistle. We know what is at stake."
The Rosellas are locked in a fight to stay in the Premier League with Fernhill at the foot of the competition.
Bellambi currently have a three-point buffer on the Foxes, but a win this weekend would bring Fernhill right back on level pegging.
The pair are seven points adrift from 10th-placed Tarrawanna.
"That is a big game on Saturday. It is the biggest game of the season because if you win there it is a six-point buffer," Smart said.
"They will take confidence out of their performance [against Dapto-Dandaloo] on Saturday, but in saying that we just have to worry about ourselves."
While they are still riding on the high of their first win, Bellambi are experiencing a player crisis on the pitch.
The loss of several players for the long term has forced the club to pursue a number of new signings before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
Smart said that ideally the Rosellas would pick up one replacement in attack, midfield and defence.