TEN minutes may not seem a long time in the context of an hour long Central West Premier League Hockey match, but on Saturday 10 minutes were telling for St Pat's.
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The first 10 minutes of the women's local derby at Bob Roach Field played an integral role in seeing Souths post a 2-1 win.
In the fifth minute Sarah White scored off the back of a fast break.
In the eighth minute St Pat's earned the first of what would be nine penalty corners for the match. While Mish Somers' attempt was on target, it was blocked by Georgie Kearney.
With eighth-and-a-half minutes gone Souths launched a quick counter-attack and drew a penalty corner.
In the ninth minute Jess Watterson scored from that penalty corner to put Souths ahead 2-0.
"They had two breakaways and that cost us, unfortunately it's part and parcel for the game," St Pat's caretaker coach Jaden Ekert said.
"We attacked for probably 80 percent of that game but those two breakaways hurt us. We were probably too relaxed in that first quarter, that first 10 minutes.
"Once we switched on we were the better team, I'm going to be honest, we were, but you can't have those lapses, especially in the first quarter, especially in premier league where it's so close."
Just as Ekert was left to contemplate what could have been had the Saints started better, he also knew the blue and whites did create enough chances to overcome a 2-0 deficit.
The problem was creating chances and converting chances are two different prospects.
Souths scrambled well in defence, goalkeeper Steph Hinds in particular a standout, and in the end the only joy the Saints got in attack was a Millie Fulton penalty stroke.
Though Pat's had plenty more on-target shots on Saturday than when losing 6-1 to Souths in May, Ekert knows the side needs to capitalise.
"We had nine short corners, short corners are always hard. They make two saves on the line, the keeper made three saves," Ekert said.
"But at the end of the day if it doesn't go in, it doesn't go in.
"If we scored in that first quarter and probably the start of that second quarter, we had a lot of chances so it could've been anything.
"But it wasn't, they win and we lose and we go onto next week. It is what it is."
SOUTHS 2 (Sarah White, Jess Watterson) defeated ST PAT'S 1 (Millie Fulton)
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