LAST year St Pat's had to wait until July before they could boast a win over Bathurst rivals Souths, but on Saturday the Saints took an early edge in the battle for local bragging rights.
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The Saints came from a goal down to win their men's Premier League Hockey season opener 3-1 at the Cooke Hockey Complex.
Losing the head-to-head count between the two sides 2-1 last season then watching Souths go on to reach the grand final when they exited in the first week of finals hurt the Saints.
But according to acting coach Brad Fulton, Saturday's season opener was not about trying to square the ledger.
For him it was about bettering a team the Saints enjoy an intense rivalry with.
"We hate them all the time," Fulton chuckled.
"No, it's not really that, but to win a comp you have got to be the best team in the town obviously and the rivalry with Souths goes back a long way.
"It's just a good, hard, game these days and everyone wants to win it."
It was obvious from the outset that both sides wanted to start 2014 with a win, play going from end to end in what was a fast paced, physical affair.
Pat's had the better of the early chances, a Matt Naylor drag-flick from a penalty corner going too high in the third minute while Souths goalkeeper John Rudge made a one-on-one save to deny Riley Hanrahan before 10 minutes had elapsed.
Cameron Liles and Tobbie Muldoon were solid in the centre for the Saints, forcing a number of turnovers, yet it was not the blue and whites who struck the first blow.
Earning two penalty corners in quick succession gave Souths the opening they needed, Andrew Cranston finding the mark from the second as he baulked on his initial strike then steered the ball into the right corner of the goal.
That gave Souths a 1-0 lead after 21 minutes, Cranston's goal coming off what would be their final penalty corner play of the contest.
Pat's worked hard for an equaliser but Souths continued to come up with big plays in defence, both Jack Bright and Rudge making good saves from penalty corner attempts.
However, with just under four minutes to the break, Souths' defence finally cracked. Hanrahan put Toole into space, the fleet-footed attacker then chipping the ball over an advancing Rudge to make it 1-all.
While the first half had been relatively even, after the break the Saints began to get on top.
Souths were not helped by having Chris Stafford, Jaydem Hadson and Anthony Falcone all spending time in the dug-out after being yellow carded.
Hadson and Falcone were actually off the field together at one stage, Souths playing over three minutes of the contest two men short.
Pat's took advantage as they worked the ball into the circle, earned the breach then had Duncan McPhee slot in from the resulting penalty corner to make it 2-1.
Naylor twice hit the post as Pat's looked to seal the win, but Souths still looking capable of equalising as the time ticked away.
In the end it was to be the Saints' day, a third goal coming with six seconds left on the clock as Brodie Cooke was on hand to clean up a Brendan Burke attempt which had struck the frame work.
"We did soak up a few short corners, but they didn't get any after the first half and I think that was pretty much the tale of the second half, we pretty much over ran them," Fulton said.
"It was tight in the first half but we really shut them down in that second half, they may have run out of legs.
"We didn't do anything wrong all game, which is a good thing early in the season, but it has been a long prep so everyone knows what they are doing. Nothing has changed from last year, we've got pretty much the same structure and the same people, it's just a matter of picking up where we left off last year."
BATHURST ST PAT'S 3 (Josh Toole, Duncan McPhee, Brodie Cooke) def BATHURST SOUTHS 1 (Andrew Cranston)
