Barrow relived as his men in black stage comeback

Bathurst Panthers recovered from a 16-point deficit to salvage a 30-all draw against reigning Group 10 premier league champions Orange CYMS at Wade Park on Saturday night.

From right in front, Panthers captain-coach Todd Barrow rocketed one of his conversion attempts early in the second half into the upright while, with 60 seconds on the clock and the score locked at 30-all, green and golds’ fullback Ben McAlpine shanked his shot at winning the game from 15 metres out and 20 metres in from the eastern touchline.

Earlier, after Panthers mounted a stunning comeback from 30-14 down to lock the scores, both Mick Sullivan and Claude Gordon missed field goal attempts to break the deadlock, leaving both parties with one competition point at full-time.

Panthers mentor Todd Barrow was more relieved than anything to leave Orange with a point.

Battling his own injury throughout the game, Barrow was forced to shuffle the decks multiple times as Panthers also lost prop Greg Behan to a serious knee injury in the first half, while fullback Mitch Davis didn’t return after half-time either – he nursed an injured right ankle on the sideline for the entire second 40 minutes.

They lost replacement prop Jarrod Seager in the warm-up as well.

“The boys showed a lot of character to keep going. Our front-row played the final 40 (minutes) straight,” Barrow said.

“It was a pretty scrappy game from both sides I think and we’ll take a point out of it. Goal-kicking was probably the difference there. Me and Macca (McAlpine) both missed one there, and pretty ease ones too.

“I think the fair result is probably a draw.”

CYMS captain-coach Sullivan was brutally blunt about CYMS’ inability to finish games off.

“I can’t believe we dropped that game, to be honest,” a dejected Sullivan said in the sheds post game.

“You throw that over. If you’re a kicker, you throw that over.”

CYMS led Oberon by 10 points in round one before going down 20-18, while the 16-point lead Sullivan’s side built against Panthers after Robbie Mortimer crossed for his second try of the night eight minutes after half-time should have been enough to seal victory.

“I don’t like the complacency creeping in,” Sullivan added.

“It’s going to be a tight comp and there’s three points I really think we’ve let slip. We go from top of the comp to the shit-fight in the middle.”

CYMS led 24-14 at the break after Tim Mortimer, Jerome Harrison, Rob Mortimer and Semisi Katoa each grabbed four-pointers in the opening 40 minutes – McAlpine nailed all four conversions, two of which were from the sideline.

When the younger of the Mortimers nabbed his second to bump the advantage out to 16 – again McAlpine’s conversion was successful – Panthers lifted, largely through Blake Lawson.

The newly crowned Western Rams representative laid on two of his side’s three second-half tries, the later of which coming from a freakish flick pass to winger Jay McClintock, who strolled over for the game’s final try with 13 minutes remaining before both sides failed to cement the result.

Panthers rake Nick Loader continued his try-scoring feats at Wade Park in 2016, adding a brace to the four he scored in round one against Hawks, while two blue junior Jye Barrow also bagged a double.

ORANGE CYMS 30 (Robbie Mortimer 2, Tim Mortimer, Semisi Katoa, Jerome Harrison tries; Ben McAlpine 5 goals) drew with BATHURST PANTHERS 30 (Nick Loader 2, Jye Barrow 2, Jay McClintock tries; Todd Barrow 4, Claude Gordon goals).