By DALLAS REEVES

WHILE jubilant Orange CYMS captain-coach Pat Gibson did his best not to get too excited about a gutsy win against the two-time Group 10 defending premiers Bathurst Panthers, beaten counterpart Dave Elvy declared Gibson's men could be a top-three side after witnessing a miracle comeback from the Orange outfit at Carrington Park on Saturday.

Down 20-6 at half-time and 26-18 with 17 minutes left, CYMS unleashed a late onslaught of four converted tries in the final 11 minutes to win the 2008 season opener 42-26.

Panthers looked to have done enough to win when second rower Matt Kirkland offloaded for right centre Christian Luyks to score and left centre Jeremy Gordon converted to for an eight-point lead with 17 minutes remaining.

But under some enthusiastic leadership from hooker Gibson, who cajoled his side all game, CYMS stormed home.

Saturday's win was the first time CYMS had beaten Panthers since the 2002 preliminary final, when now Hawks mentor Ryan Prevett was in charge of an outfit which beat the men in black 18-10 at Wade Park.

The heroic fightback started with CYMS completing 10 straight sets of six tackles in the first 25 minutes of the closing half.

After two earlier converted tries to lock Josh Nixon (52nd minute) and Luke Thompson (57th minute), momentum turned into more points for CYMS when replacement Scott Sullivan crashed over in the 69th minute after winger Kurt Beahan drifted across field and hit him with an inside pass.

Halfback Steve Morris, who had a perfect day with the boot, nailing seven goals from as many attempts, converted for CYMS to reduce the gap to 26-24.

The inside ball continued to work when Gibson found big prop Ben McKenna, the big man crashing over in the 73rd minute for CYMS to hit the lead for the first time before Morris made it 30-26.

Fellow CYMS prop Hayden Davis (76th minute) capitalised on some slick passing to score with another Morris goal making it 36-26 before Gibson himself scored in the final play of the game.

After both sides had completion rates hovering around 50 per cent in a lacklustre first half, CYMS boasted an 85 per cent (17 from 20 sets of six tackles) completion rate in the second term. Panthers completed nine of 15 second-half sets.

It was "getting in the arm wrestle" which won CYMS the contest according to a happy Gibson.

"We showed a bit of character ... the attitude of everyone was excellent," Gibson said. "If they [Panthers] score one more [try straight after] after half-time we're looking at [conceding] 50 points."

Gibson refused to get carried away with the tough win, in which he praised Morris' composure at halfback and the effort of "big and strong" back-rower Thompson, who scored two tries.

"They've [Panthers] won two premierships, they're not going to be up for today [Saturday] like we are," Gibson said.

"We're a club trying to re-build, trying to get better in this comp. It's good to win but it's just one game ... they'll [Panthers] be there when the whips are cracking for sure.

"We want to compete in every game ... obviously come the end of the year we hope to be in the semi-finals, but that's not going to be easy, all the sides are strong."

Elvy agreed with Gibson except for where he thinks CYMS, who have the advantage of an extra bye and automatic two points, will finish.

"I think that's [losing extra enthusiasm] why teams find it hard to win comp after comp," Elvy said.

"You lose that little bit of extra edge ... it's my job to get that back. Everyone here wants to win a comp but there is that extra drive if you lose. With the draw they've [CYMS] got they should finish top three."

Elvy felt the last 15 minutes of the first half was where Panthers started to deteriorate.

The Panthers mentor even admitted his kicking game was "poor" and CYMS' Morris won the territorial battle of the boot.

"It was a shock ... [after Davis scored for CYMS] it was the first time in six years I'd got behind the line and was speechless," Elvy said.

"It was like we thought the job was done. They [CYMS] were full of running and full of enthusiasm. We should have won it ... there is no excuse, they outplayed us in all areas. They smashed us in the second half."

Panthers started well with tries to winger-cum-fullback Brett Harvey (fifth minute) and prop Wes Coe (seventh minute) for a 10-0 lead.

CYMS reduced the gap to four points in the 15th minute when Gibson dished off to Thompson, the former Narromine forward scoring the first of his brace.

Panthers custodian Billy-Joe Francis doubled around Elvy to score in the 21st minute after a nice right-to-left pass from Panthers halfback Aidan Bateup created space in the centre of the field.

Panthers prop Stan Latu then crashed over and Francis converted for a 20-6 lead nine minutes from the break. It didn't prove to be enough.

ORANGE CYMS 42 (Luke Thompson 2, Josh Nixon, Scott Sullivan, Ben McKenna, Hayden Davis, Pat Gibson tries; Steve Morris 7 goals) defeated BATHURST PANTHERS 26 (Brett Harvey, Wes Coe, Billy-Joe Francis, Stan Latu, Jeremy Gordon tries; Billy-Joe Francis 2, Jeremy Gordon goals)