Blayney, who had numerous late changes to their starting XIII, called players up from under 18s and first grade for the premier league clash at Jack Arrow Sporting Complex on Sunday. 

St Pat’s captain-coach Greg Behan, who worked hard all day, carrying the ball up through the middle, said the team had to work hard to get the win, the team’s fourth of the season.

“Our completion rate was down, mistakes were costly. I don’t know what it was,” he said.

“It was a good win in the end but we killed ourselves.

“Blayney were down on numbers and they scrapped a team together to get on the field today.

“Huge respect to Blayney and their players. They dug deep and they were there the whole time. Full credit to them.” 

Behan heaped praised onto Holman, who now brings his season point scoring tally up to 36 (five tries, eight goals) 

“He’s a class player,” he said.

“The direction, attack and ability he’s brought since he’s come here, we’re only going to get better.

“We’re better off the longer we have him.” 

Things started brightly for the visitors, as under 18s youngster Isaac Lettice scored but Zach Stammers was stretchered off after injuring himself in the set following the try. 

St Pat’s quickly responded through Caleb Wardman to bring the score back to 6-4 and then Holman grabbed his first four pointer of the day after running from dummy half.

He converted his own try to give St Pat’s the lead after 15 minutes. 

But for the next 20 minutes, both teams traded tackles, blows and mistakes as they tried to make further inroads into the score.

It wasn’t until six minutes to go in the first half that Blayney fullback Carter Hirini scored and Mitch Evers slotted home the conversion for a 12-10.

Blayney looked to take the lead to the half-time break but St Pat’s hulking front rower Zac Merritt had other ideas. 

He broke through the Blayney defence and scored under the posts to give his side the lead at half-time.

The interval couldn’t come quicker for the tiring Bears but they exploded out of the sheds when Ricky Scott scored under the posts in the opening five minutes and Evers slotted home the conversion to give Blayney at 18-16 lead.

An incredible 60 metre dash from captain Tim Mortimer could’ve given Blayney a bigger lead but they were unable to capitalise on the strong field position.

No sooner had they wasted that chance, Tim Holman scored his second of the afternoon and gave St Pat’s the lead.

When McCoy White scored five minutes later to give his side a 24-18 buffer, it looked like the hosts might run away with it.

However, just before the hour mark, a St Pat’s raid was intercepted from Evers.

Pursued by the chasing defenders, Evers found Lettice.

Lettice looked to have been covered by the chasing players, but, channelling his inner Benji Marshall, laid up an incredible flick pass to the supporting Evers, who buried himself over the score line.

With 20 minutes to full-time, it was game on at 24-22.

But that was as close as Blayney got to regaining the lead, as Wardman, Sam Dwyer, Holman and Nathan Redding all scored before the full-time buzzer to give St Pat’s a comfortable 46-22 win. 

Merritt also slotted home a conversion on the day, his first of the season.

“Zac was in my ear wanting something different, that was all that was,” Behan said.

“I thought I’d shut the big fella up and let him have a crack [at goal].” 

St Pat’s will travel to Oberon next Sunday, to play the Tigers who claimed a 36-10 win over Lithgow Workies on Sunday.