FRUSTRATION with a capital F - that's how CSU coach Dave Conyers described the feeling of surrendering a 17-point lead in Saturday's New Holland Cup match.
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CSU looked set for a good win on Old Mitchell Day at Diggings Oval when dominating the first half against the Mudgee, but when the final siren sounded the Wombats had a 23-20 win.
The result frustrated Conyers, the way CSU went away from its game plan in the second half frustrated Conyers, and that Mudgee's winning try came in the final minute frustrated Conyers.
"It can tell you that was frustration with a capital F," he said.
"The second half the wheels just bloody fell off, we conceded 15-16 penalties, there were five cards. We just didn't execute at all in the second half.
"It was just ill-discipline ... they just chipped away in the second half off the back of all the penalties they got and we just couldn't get any flow.
"That's two old boys days in a row that we've forfeited the lead in the last minute, it's really disappointing.
"I felt really sorry for the old boys there who came to watch and the other grades lost too, it was just a bad day on our big day. Very, very disappointing."
Before the frustration there were plenty of smiles from Conyers as his side built a 20-3 lead in the opening half.
With the wind at their backs, CSU smartly kicked the ball into corners and chased hard to give themselves a territorial advantage.
Maurice Otutaha scored the opening try off a good blindside play, while winger Glenn Pollard added another following a strong scrum.
On top of that, CSU flyhalf Ethan Cusick converted both tries and kicked a pair of sweetly-struck long range penalty goals.
"It was our best 40 of the year in the first half then in the second half we had our worst 40 of the year. That's two weeks in a row we've lost on the bell," Conyers said.
"We were up on their 22 and we lost possession in the ruck. We just turned over the ball and they ran 80 metres to beat us.
"We trained three nights this week, we really prepared well, we had a couple of old boys come and present the jerseys. It was just a great build up to the day.
"Then when you get out to a lead like that you just have to consolidate, but we just played right into their hands."
Not once in the second half did CSU manage to string together more than five phases.
"The 50-50s went against us, the ball didn't bounce our way, calls went against us - it was just one of those days in the second half," Conyers said.
MUDGEE WOMBATS 23 defeated CSU 20 (Maurice Otutaha, Glenn Pollard tries; Ethan Cusick 2 conversions, Ethan Cusick 2 penalties)
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