WHAT a difference a week can make.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After getting thumped the previous week by St Pat's it was a different story for Bathurst Panthers in Sunday's Group 10 under 13s league tag semi-final as they ran out 22-6 winners over their cross-city rivals.
Panthers learned their lessons, especially in defence, to play an excellent game at Jack Arrow Oval to book their place in the grand final.
Winning coach Anthony Nicol said the girls could hold their heads high with the way they bounced back.
"I'm really chuffed for them, especially coming in off one of our worst games of the season against St Pat's last weekend. They turned it around to put in one of their best games," he said.
"We held the ball a lot better today and our defence was also a lot better. Pat's put 38 points on us last week so to keep them to just six was great to see.
"We played much better as team this week, instead of as individuals. We were letting the ball go, used each other, and that's what helped us get across the line."
The score was still nil-all after the opening quarter of Sunday's game but Pat's had the better of the early chances.
Tahnee Siakisoni and Samantha Hanrahan both made strong runs down the field but with no end result, as did Evie Scott on the stroke of quarter-time.
Panthers got off to great start in the next term when fullback Abey Carter made a break from her own half and turned on the pace to outrun the Saints chasers, scoring under the posts for a 6-0 lead.
The attacks kept coming from the Panthers following a successful 40-20, on the back of which Sam Whiting scored down the right wing.
The girls in black threatened to run away with the game in the lead up to half-time when Matilda Kemp evaded several attempted tags from 20m out to score between the uprights.
Pat's were caught at times playing too sideways and not enough direct football, but they started to turn it around in the second half.
An intercept from Hanrahan put Pat's supporters in full voice but Lara Edwards was able to keep pace and make a crucial tag.
Pat's got themselves on the board before the last term when fullback Tarnya Kelleher - who had been the best on ground for the Saints throughout the game - found space down the left wing to score a much-deserved try.
But Panthers sealed the deal inside the last 30 seconds of the game when Whiting got on the end of a lucky bounce to score her second try.
Panthers will play minor premiers Orange CYMS in the grand final.