Leeton-Whitton midfielder Matt Rainbird says confidence and belief can carry the Crows a long way in Saturday's home game against Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes.
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In the absence of suspended coach Daniel Muir the last two weeks, Rainbird has been in charge of the Crows on game day for their back-to-back wins against Narrandera and then Collingullie-Glenfield Park.
He played down in his own role in the result but was rapt in what his young teammates delivered.
"I did enjoy it, the way the boys responded," Rainbird said.
"We've really been emphasising belief, the guys believing in themselves and that they have the ability to compete at senior level. Once they got a taste of that and realise we're capable of staying in games, they're really improving. It shows how much belief and confidence can do."
Rainbird said the Crows might have been guilty of over-analysing the opposition earlier in the season. They'll put some time into the danger men at the Goannas, who sit fifth and are coming off losses against Wagga Tigers and Coolamon, but intend to stick with their new approach.
"We'll keep the same mentality. We've stripped it back a bit and focussed a lot on us, not the opposition. We'll go in with the same key points and, fingers crossed, we can get the same result," he said.
The Crows remain ninth but only on percentage now behind Narrandera after the experienced Jade Hodge - who's kicked 11 goals in two games, and will celebrate his 100th Crows game on Saturday - and midfielder Bryce O'Garey helped plot the path to victory the last two weeks.
"We put a massive onus on the experienced blokes in the group just because we're so young we thought that if we stepped up, the younger kids will buy in and come with us," Rainbird said.
"It's been great the way they (O'Garey and Hodge) have stepped up for us the last two weeks, but the best thing has been that the whole group has stepped up massively. We've got a winning feeling now. Winning's a good habit and we want to continue it."
With two wins in two games as match-day coach, Rainbird will still happily hand back to Muir.
"It'll be good to have him back in charge. It's a bit of a relief really," he said.
"It was a good learning experience for me. The boys responded really well, but I don't think it mattered who was in charge really, I think we would've got the same result, the way the guys played."
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