IT was more a case of holding on than marching in, but St Pat's kept its hopes of a women's Premier League Hockey title alive with a 3-2 win over Orange CYMS in Saturday's minor semi-final.
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The final five minutes at Bob Roach Field were tense enough for even the vocal Bec Clayton to be silent as she watched her Saints team-mates pressured by a CYMS outfit desperate for an equaliser.
But the Saints, who had led the match since the fifth minute, were good enough to close it out and avoid being eliminated.
With nine penalty corners across the match and plenty more circle penetrations, Saints coach Ben Weal felt his side should have killed off CYMS' hopes earlier. But they still got the win they needed.
"We had a lot of chances and we also gave them the ball that they got the short corner they scored off - our defence passed it straight to their striker. So we had a few little errors there that probably kept them in it," he said.
"It probably shouldn't have been such a close scoreline, we should have scored a couple more goals, but in saying that, they scrambled well in defence and their keeper did well too. So we'll take that.
"I think we played with a good amount of intensity, but at times we were a bit nervous as well under pressure. But in finals hockey you want to be tested, next week we are going to be tested again."
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Things began well for the Saints when, in the fifth minute, Paige Hay picked off an attempted clearance from CYMS goalkeeper Kimberley Kiel.
While Esther Hotham's initial shot was blocked, Millie Fulton swooped on the rebound and slotted home to continue her impressive run of scoring in every game she's played this season.
Just over a minute later Fulton struck the post and as the match unfolded, her speed caused plenty more headaches for CYMS.
While they went to the first break trailing 1-0 CYMS was not without its chances in the opening quarter - Pat's goalkeeper Lilli-Rae Campbell made a double block off their first penalty corner play to firstly deny Libby Smith then Jemma Leulf.
Early in the second quarter CYMS' Madi Smith came up with a block on the line to turn away a Hotham rocket off a penalty corner, but when the Saints striker got her next chance from the set play she found the target.
Her tomahawk clattered into the bottom right corner to make it 2-0 at half-time.
Pat's piled on the pressure in the third quarter but with both Kayla Russell and Nic Chapman coming up with big defensive plays, CYMS stayed in the contest.
In the 43rd minute Courtney Hogan got CYMS on the board and while Ella Davis responded 35 seconds into the final quarter to make it 3-1, the visitors continued to fight.
With five minutes to go CYMS was back within a goal of the lead as Phoebe Litchfield found the mark, putting away the ball at the far post after Russell's first-time strike from a penalty corner was blocked.
CYMS kept pushing but the Saints held on, Weal labelling defender Jodie Webb 'just unreal' for her efforts.
"Jodie was unbelievable at the back, she was first to the ball every time. Her experience there really helps," he said.
Pat's will now face Confederates in the preliminary final after they went down 2-0 to Lithgow Panthers in the first grand final qualifier.
