ON the back of one of the most relentless opening quarters of the Central West AFL season the Bathurst Bushrangers Rebels did it easy against the visiting Cowra Blues on Saturday.
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The Bushrangers raced out to an early four goal advantage, converting that into a 37-point quarter time lead, and only took the foot off the pedal in the final term to come away 20-12-132 to 6-1-37 winners.
Victory has sent the Rebels to the top of the table with one game to go before the halfway point of the competition.
Mick Phillips, Pat Edsall, Bill Watterson and Tim Hunter all scored three goals in the big win at George Park 2.
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Winning co-coach Matt Archer said the eight-goal first term set the tone for the rest of the match.
"We kicked four goals in the first five minutes so that helps in any game," he said.
"It was a really good start, everyone was up and about. Our midfield played well. We got a little bit complacent after those first four goals but we got our rhythm back.
"I thought it was a highly skilled game and both teams controlled the ball well. I just think we had more experience when we got it into the forward half.
"They came over light of numbers and experience but their midfield was still good and their back half looked really clean with the ball."
The Blues' two-goal opening quarter would be their best period of the match.
Midfield contests continually went the way of the Rebels and the Blues found it difficult to find a way into the Bathurst 50m.
Both teams kicked just one goal each during a scrappy final quarter but by that point Rebels had put the game to bed.
Rebels now sit level at the top of the table with the Orange Tigers but are ahead on percentage.
"You can't afford to lose too many at home, especially against those teams towards the bottom of the ladder, so it was important to win," Archer said.
"We've got one more game before the halfway break and being up there is important going into the back half of the season because you never know what's going to happen in this league, as results showed on the weekend.
"I don't think Harry Bowden lost a ruck tackle all day which really set us up. Bill Watterson in the midfield probably played his best game in a few years, which is really saying something. Scott Brown, at just 16, was really strong and physical in that midfield."