BATHURST Panthers were denied the chance of facing local rivals St Pat’s in the Group 10 ladies league tag grand final by minor premiers Orange Hawks on Sunday.
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Hawks hit back from an early deficit to win the preliminary final 12-6 at the Oberon Sports Ground.
Panthers struck first when Mandy Hotham scored next to the uprights.
Jess Hotham came close to scoring near the left corner 10 minutes later, but from that point on Hawks began to turn the screws on the Panthers defence.
Drew Alexander almost scored under the posts for Hawks but was tagged mid-dive. A dangerous Hawks chip to the right corner close to half-time went just long.
Jacky Lyden capitalised on the Hawks’ pressure and levelled the scores.
Shortly after the break winger Lailee Phillips almost gave Hawks the lead, but on a repeat set Amanda Livingstone put the Orange women ahead.
Panthers regrouped towards the end of the match, and inside the final five minutes they had three successive sets inside the Hawks’ 10m, but they couldn’t get through.
“We had some tough calls, and it hurts a lot when they happen. We probably lost our heads in the game from those calls that we had. Injuries meant we had people playing out of position, but these things happen,” Panthers player-coach Monique Christie-Johnson said.
