ST Pat’s have taken the top spot on the Group 10 Premier League ladder with one round to go after beating the Orange Hawks 30-26 at the Sportsground yesterday.
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Pat’s bounced back from a shaky start to their second half to frustrate a determined Hawks’ side, reduced to 12 men for the final eight minutes of the game.
The win ends the Hawks’ nine-match winning streak and sees Pat’s dethrone the Mudgee Dragons from the top spot they have held since round five in May.
Even after witnessing one of the club’s most impressive results this season, Pat’s coach Kurt Hancock did his best to keep his focus clear post-match.
“We’ve worked hard all year so that’s a little reward they get, but it’s only for this week,” he said of topping the table.
“We’ve still got to tidy things up if we’re going to be any sort of show through the semi-finals. It was a scrappy win but I guess we know how to do that at the moment. To beat Hawks who have been the form side of comp is great, but I still think they have a bit to offer. I think we’re going to see them again some time in the finals.”
Hancock says the early second half slip doesn’t bode well so close to finals, something he will address in the coming week.
“We were disappointed with it because we spoke about a few things and it never transpired on the footy field. At this stage I just hope everything goes good. It was a good win for us because there was no Cameron Neville and I only used Benjamin John sparingly today.
“John Hanscomb was outstanding at hooker, I thought Jacob Bell played his best game of the year and Derryn Clayton I gave the last half hour and he was outstanding in defence when we needed it.”
Pat’s winger Adam Morton couldn’t have asked for a better first touch of the ball in Premier League, running 60 metres down the left wing to open the scores three minutes in.
Hawks went ahead 6-4 when Alofi Mataele found an overlap in the home team’s left side defence.
John Hanscomb started the match in an unfamiliar role at hooker, but his strong performance was rewarded with a try that got Pat’s back in front by two with 14 minutes gone.
Hawks allowed the lead to grow to 14-6 when three straight penalties from Orange let Dave Howard find the try line.
Arty Shead made sure the visitors kept in touch with a try from close range under the posts, but Pat’s went into half-time 20-12 up thanks to a Jake Bright try in the closing seconds of the half.
Hawks became the aggressors from the resumption, scoring two quick-fire tries in the first seven minutes to level up the contest.
Jared Broderick went in after an awkward bounce from a chip kick that left the Pat’s defence red-faced. Tim Mortimer’s try came off the back of a Hawks 40/20 just moments after.
After a scrappy period of play where both sides were struggling for momentum and tempers were starting to show, Pat’s found two quick tries through Hanscomb and Morton that would prove the difference.
Hawks looked set to respond with 10 minutes remaining and the score at 30-20, before the ball was thrown over the sideline just metres from the try line.
Jason Greenhalgh was then sin binned for dissent and it left Orange unable to find the two tries needed.
A try after the siren for Josefa Lasagavibau was little comfort for the Hawks who had to cope with a feeling they had forgotten for some time – losing.
ST PAT’S 30 (Adam Morton 2, John Hanscomb 2, Dave Howard, Jake Bright tries; Garry Reilly 3 goals) defeated ORANGE HAWKS 26 (Alofi Mataele, Arty Shead, Jared Broderick, Tim Mortimer, Josefa Lasagavibau tries; Brock McGarity 3 goals)