With their trip to face Bathurst Panthers in a monumental, top-of-the-table clash looming large Orange Hawks escaped from Wade Park on Sunday with a narrow Group 10 premier league win over the fast-finishing Oberon Tigers.
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The two blues were forced to stifle two big fightbacks from the Tigers to pick up their 28-24 victory and with Panthers edging out Mudgee the two sides remains in a share for the competition lead, next weekend's clash of the titans looks likely to all but decide the minor premiership as a result.
Hawks shot to a 16-nil lead on Sunday but from there the two blues' effort was a somewhat tired one, their brutal win over third-placed Mudgee the week before clearly taking its toll as Oberon roared back into the clash.
We've had a tough few weeks playing some good sides, and even though it wasn't the prettiest of performances we're still heading in the right direction.
- Hawks captain-coach Willie Heta
They cut to gap to 12 before half-time and then stormed to an 18-16 lead just after the break and while Hawks wrestled momentum back to lead by 10 with just seven minutes to go, the Tigers weren't quite done yet.
Jackson Brien, who was typically outstanding for the visitors, scored with 90 seconds to go to set up a grandstand finish, but the Tigers' last-ditch effort amounted to nothing as Hawks fullback Duncan Young diffused the last-play kick to secure his side's win.
"We only really showed glimpses of the consistent football we want to be playing, but good sides tend to win in those situations," Hawks captain-coach Willie Heta.