St Pat's bid for fifth straight Western Challenge title thwarted by newcomers West Belconnen in final

The St Pat's bid for a fifth straight title was only stopped in the final as West Belconnen bested the Bathurst women 8-4, in a game where both sides scored one try each.

It was the final the competition deserved as neither side gave up a single point across their pool games and their semi-final victories.

In the end two goals for competition newcomers West Belconnen would prove the difference in the decider.

Pat's coach Mick Armstrong has become accustomed to seeing his side best all before them at the pre-season competition but wasn't bitterly disappointed when the Saints were beaten by a quality outfit.

"It was a good day as usual over there and it's always a great way to start the season. The girls played very well but Belconnen were just too good for us," he said.

"They were a pretty handy side and they just had that little bit more energy than us in the final, but it was still great to go over there and get in some good games to kick the season off."

St Pat's earned their way to the final with three comfortable pool wins before yet another hard fought clash with Group 10 rivals Orange Hawks.

The Saints thrashed Orange United 46-0 in their opening game, bested hosts Canowindra Tigers 18-0 and defeated Wellington Cowboys 20-0.

In the rematch of last year's Group 10 grand final it was the same result as the Saints came away 12-0 winners over the Hawks.

West Belconnen were similarity dominant in their run to the final with pool wins over Orange Barbarians (18-0), Grenfell Goannas (34-0) and Cowra Magpies (12-0) before bringing down Orange CYMS 8-0 in the semis.

Belconnen continued that form in the final when they ran out to an early 8-0 lead over the Saints.

Pat's were able to lift their game and find a reply through a Sarah Watterson try but the slow start came back to bite them.

Belconnen outshone the Saints in an area where the Bathurst team has been outstanding over its past three years of Group 10 glory - with the boot.

"They started a bit better than us and their kicking game was really good. Their kick and chase kept us pinned down our own end for a lot of the game," Armstrong said.

"We made a bit of a comeback in the second half but we probably started to slow in the first half and we couldn't recover. We gave it a good shot, and the girls were all pretty knackered by the end of the day.

"We got ourselves a try late but kicked the ball out from the kick-off. Belconnen were very strong across the park. Their passing was outstanding and they were very hard to defend against.

"When you're playing a 20 minute game there's never many points scored usually, so whoever gets on top early often manages to win it and that's what they did."

Pat's won't lose sleep over the result - especially with four straight Western League Tag Challenge titles up until this year - and it's given them things to focus on in the lead up to the season.

Considering a lack of preparation before the competition Armstrong believes the runner-up result bodes well for the year to come.

"It's always a great day out there and Canowindra and Woodbridge Cup do a great job organising it. It's always a great way to start the season, and we'd only had the one training run before this as well," he said.

Player of the day went to Belconnen's Krystal Coker, who hails from Canowindra.

Belconnen were one of three teams making their debut at the competition along with Orange United and Wellington Cowboys. Five different competitions were represented at the event.

St Pat's are scheduled to start their Group 10 season on April 12 with a trip to face Lithgow Workies.